BETHESDA, MD – The Biophysical Society is pleased to announce that Yiechang Lin, of Australian National University, Australia and Kai Sheng, of Scripps Research, USA, have been named recipients of the 2026 Outstanding Doctoral Research in Biophysics Award. Lin and Sheng will be honored at the Society’s 70th Annual Meeting, being held in San Francisco, California from February 21-25, 2026.
Lin will be recognized for advancing our understanding of how lipid-protein interactions affect function and Sheng will be recognized for pioneering new approaches to elucidate the mechanism of bacterial ribosome assembly and for constructing a comprehensive structural map for the large subunit assembly.
“Yiechang and Kai jointly represent the most outstanding work being done by doctoral researchers at this time,” said BPS President Lynmarie Thompson of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. “I am delighted to honor the work of Yiechang and Kai as the winners of the Outstanding Doctoral Research in Biophysics Award. They have both excelled in their respective biophysical studies and have been prolific publishers at an early stage of their careers.”
About the Award – The Outstanding Doctoral Research in Biophysics Award, introduced in 2025, recognizes excellence in thesis research, writing, and service by two PhD recipients in biophysics, one who received their PhD at an academic institution in the United States and one who received their PhD at a non-US institution.
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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.