Oskar Hallatschek, a biologist and Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology (EGSB) faculty scientist, was the 2026 recipient of the American Physical Society (APS) general fellowship. The prestigious honor, managed directly by the society, is awarded to less than 0.5% of all APS members; members must first be nominated by their peers to be eligible for selection by committee. Hallatschek was recognized for pioneering theoretical and experimental contributions to the statistical physics of proliferating active matter—biological materials composed of units that consume energy to exert mechanical forces. Hallatschek is also a professor in the department of physics and integrative biology at UC Berkeley, with research dedicated to theoretical and experimental biophysics.