Leckband Named 2026 Fellow of the Biophysical Society

Professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering (ChBE) and bioengineering Deborah Leckband has been named a 2026 Fellow of the Biophysical Society by the Society’s Fellows Committee. This honor is presented to distinguished Society members who have demonstrated excellence in science and contributed to the expansion of the field of biophysics. 

Leckband was cited for her "pathbreaking research in biophysics that has transformed our understanding of fundamental mechanisms of biomolecular mechanics and force transduction."

Leckband joined the ChBE Illinois faculty in 1995, where she is a Reid T. Milner Professor. Her research focuses on investigating bio-interfaces and mechanotransduction, using biophysical and surface analytical approaches. Leckband served as department head from 2003-2005 and is affiliated with the departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. She is a Fellow in the Biomedical Engineering Society, American Chemical Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

Leckband will be recognized as a BPS Fellow in San Francisco, California, during the 70th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society.