ISO's missions are threefold: 1) addressing academic and political procedures at Northwestern, 2) research issues in the life sciences, 3) and promoting social interaction. We have student representatives that sit on committees at all levels of the IBiS program as well as the rest of the university. We host prominent speakers from the scientific community as well as a Graduate Student Seminar that provides an informal venue in which students can present their research to other students in the absence of faculty. Finally, our social events promote interactions outside of the lab, not only amongst IBiS students, but also graduate students and faculty from other departments.