BETHESDA, MD – The Biophysical Society is pleased to announce that Hawa Racine Thiam, of Stanford University, USA, will receive the 2026 Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award. Thiam will be honored at the Society’s 70th Annual Meeting, being held in San Francisco, California from February 21-25, 2026.

Thiam is being recognized for being a trailblazer of subcellular biophysics and unveiling new paradigms of biophysical immunology through her dynamic measurements of physical forces on organelles in real time.

“I am delighted that Hawa Racine’s name will be added to the list of remarkable women in biophysics,” said BPS President Lynmarie Thompson of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. “Hawa Racine is a true pioneer in exploring the role of biophysical forces in innate immunity. She is a trailblazer of subcellular biophysics and is uniquely poised to usher biophysical immunology into the future.”

About the Award – The Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award is given to a woman who holds very high promise or has achieved prominence while developing the early stages of a career in biophysical research, within the purview and interest of the Biophysical Society. The award honors the memory of Dr. Margaret Dayhoff, former President of the Biophysical Society, Professor of Biophysics at Georgetown University, and Director of Research at the National Biomedical Research Foundation.

###

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.