BETHESDA, MD – The Biophysical Society is pleased to announce that Ken A. Dill, of Stony Brook University, USA, will receive the Society’s 2026 Founders Award. Dill will be honored at the Society’s 70th Annual Meeting, being held in San Francisco, California from February 21-25, 2026.

Dill is being honored for his work on the protein folding problem and the development of statistical mechanical theories and foundational principles in biophysics.

“I am honored to recognize Ken with this year’s Founders Award,” said BPS President Lynmarie Thompson of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. “This distinction allows us to call attention to those whose sustained and remarkable achievements in biophysics best embody our values and achievements. Ken’s energy landscapes remain a staple in presentations of protein folding, dynamics, allostery, and misfolding. Ken has a knack for taking an important problem and providing elegant simplifications that make the problem tractable. As his work continues to evolve into new areas of biophysics, it is clear why he has been selected to be the recipient of the Founders Award.”

About the Award - The Founders Award is given to scientists for outstanding achievement in any area of biophysics, often reflected in the acceptance of and use by others in the field, either promptly or over a period of years.

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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.