BETHESDA, MD – The Biophysical Society is pleased to announce that Yifan Cheng, of University of California San Francisco, USA, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA, has been named the recipient of the Society’s 2026 Anatrace Membrane Protein Award. Cheng will be honored at the Society’s 70th Annual Meeting, being held in San Francisco, California from February 21-25, 2026.

Cheng will receive the Anatrace Membrane Protein Award for broad and impactful contributions to the field of membrane protein structural biology, and for structural work delineating the gating mechanisms of TRP channels.

Through his work, Yifan has made remarkable contributions to the field of membrane protein structure-function relationships and revolutionized the biophysics research of membrane proteins,” said BPS President Lynmarie Thompson of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. “It is my honor to recognize his outstanding achievements, relentless pursuit of scientific excellence, and multidisciplinary approach to structural biology.”

About the Award - Funded by Anatrace, Inc., this award recognizes an outstanding investigator who has made a significant contribution to the field of membrane protein research. The award is designed to promote membrane protein studies and recognize excellence in the field.

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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.