BETHESDA, MD – The Biophysical Society is proud to announce its 2026 Society Fellows. This award honors the Society’s distinguished members who have demonstrated excellence in science and contributed to the expansion of the field of biophysics. The Fellows will be honored at the Biophysical Society’s 70th Annual Meeting, being held in San Francisco, California from February 21-25, 2026. The 2026 Fellows are:
Kenneth J. Breslauer, Linus Pauling Distinguished Professor, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, USA, for foundational thermodynamic databases that map the energy linkage between DNA sequence domains, structural motifs, and biological functions, including the rational design of primers/probes that optimize diagnostic protocols.
Susan K. Buchanan, National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, USA, for her structural analysis of outer membrane protein folding and insertion, and for structural insights into small and large molecule active transport across the outer membrane.
Deborah Leckband, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, for pathbreaking research in biophysics that has transformed our understanding of fundamental mechanisms of biomolecular mechanics and force transduction.
Alexander D. MacKerell, Jr., University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA, for the profound and far-reaching impact of his work on the growing use of computer simulations in the chemical and biological sciences, as well as in pharmaceutical discovery.
Huan-Xiang Zhou, University of Illinois Chicago, USA, for his ground-breaking research integrating theories, computational methods, and experiments for understanding protein-protein association, macromolecular crowding, and biomolecular condensates.
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The Biophysical Society, founded in 1958, is a professional, scientific society established to lead an innovative global community working at the interface of the physical and life sciences, across all levels of complexity, and to foster the dissemination of that knowledge. The Society promotes growth in this expanding field through its Annual Meeting, publications, and outreach activities. Its 6,500 members are located throughout the world, where they teach and conduct research in colleges, universities, laboratories, government agencies, and industry.