Dr. Emily Sontag receives national Biophysical Society Young Faculty Award

Dr. Emily Sontag, assistant professor of biological sciences in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, received the 2026 Young Faculty Award from the Biopolymers in Vivo Subgroup of the Biophysical Society, recognizing her innovative research at the intersection of physical chemistry and cell biology.

Sontag was honored at the Biophysical Society's 70th Annual Meeting, held Feb. 21-25 in San Francisco. As part of the recognition, she delivered a featured lecture prior to the award presentation on Saturday, Feb. 21. The Young Faculty Award is presented annually to a junior faculty member whose work demonstrates exceptional promise and impact within the field.

Sontag's research combines advanced microscopy and biochemical techniques to investigate how cells respond to misfolded proteins. Protein misfolding is a hallmark of numerous diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, as well as cancer and aging. A central goal of the lab is to better understand how cells manage protein stress and what goes wrong during disease, with the long-term aim of informing new therapeutic strategies.

The Biopolymers in Vivo (BIV) Subgroup provides a forum for scientists studying the physical chemistry of biomolecules inside cells and under cell-like conditions in vitro - a rapidly growing area of research with broad implications for biology and medicine. The subgroup cited Sontag's contributions to this emerging field as a key reason for her selection.

Founded in 1958, the Biophysical Society is an international professional organization dedicated to advancing knowledge at the interface of the physical and life sciences. Its more than 6,500 members worldwide conduct and disseminate research through teaching, publications, outreach and the Society's annual meeting.