Baron Chanda, PhD, a professor of anesthesiology at WashU Medicine, was recently awarded the 2025 Kenneth S. Cole Award from the Biophysical Society. The award was presented on February 15, 2025, at the society’s annual meeting in Los Angeles and recognized his groundbreaking contributions to understanding how the body’s electrical signals function at the cellular level.
This is the first time a WashU Medicine faculty member has received this prestigious honor. Established by the Biophysical Society, the Kenneth S. Cole Award recognizes scientists whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of ion channels—microscopic proteins that regulate the flow of electrical signals in and out of cells. Named after Kenneth S. Cole, a pioneering membrane biophysicist and co-founder of the society, the award honors researchers for their exceptional contributions to membrane biophysics, their potential for future discoveries, and their service to the scientific community.
Chanda’s research has shed new light on how ion channels open and close in response to biological changes. These proteins act as gatekeepers, controlling how nerve signals are transmitted throughout the body. His discoveries have important implications for conditions such as neurological disorders, chronic pain, and heart arrhythmias.
He has also developed innovative methods, such as the “median-voltage” approach, to measure energy changes in ion channels, revealing how temperature and electrical charge influence their behavior. His findings are shaping new approaches in neurophysiology, drug development, and medical treatments.
Chanda earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Delhi and a master’s degree in biotechnology (specializing in biophysics) from the University of Pune in India. He completed his PhD at the National Center for Biological Sciences, where he studied how proteins function in cell membranes. In 2000, he moved to the University of California, Los Angeles, for postdoctoral research under Francisco Bezanilla, PhD, where he studied sodium and potassium ion channels—key players in nerve signaling. Later, in 2006, he joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a faculty member, becoming a leading expert in neuroscience and biochemistry.
Since 2020, Chanda has been a professor at WashU Medicine, where his research group continues to make significant breakthroughs. His lab is pushing boundaries in membrane biophysics, using single-molecule fluorescence techniques to study how ion channels change shape when responding to biological signals.
Receiving the Kenneth S. Cole Award highlights the interdisciplinary impact of Chanda’s work on science and medicine. His research is not only expanding our knowledge of how electrical signals control the body, but also paving the way for new treatments for neurological disorders and heart disease, as well as advances in drug development.
