PNNL Computational Scientist Named AAAS Fellow

Margaret Cheung recognized for significant contributions and achievements in scientific research and applications.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 1:04am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory computational scientist and biological physicist Margaret Cheung has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest multidisciplinary scientific society. Cheung was elected for her significant contributions and achievements across various scientific disciplines, from research to public communications.

Why it matters

AAAS fellowship is considered the organization's highest honor, recognizing scientists whose efforts have been scientifically or socially distinguished. Cheung's election as a fellow highlights her impactful work in integrating physics and data to study protein interactions and control living matter, as well as her leadership in the DOE-funded Northwest Biopreparedness Research Virtual Environment (NW-BRaVE) Initiative.

The details

Cheung joined PNNL and the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory in 2021, where she holds a joint appointment in the Department of Physics at the University of Washington. Her research focuses on an approach that combines physics and data to understand how certain proteins interact and control living matter. She also leads the NW-BRaVE Initiative, which aims to design and implement new approaches for characterizing host-pathogen interactions for detection and prediction, integrating a wide range of molecular and cellular structure and advanced omics measurements with the aid of artificial intelligence.

  • Cheung obtained her doctorate in physics from the University of California, San Diego in 2003.
  • After her postdoctoral research at the University of Maryland, Cheung started her own laboratory at the University of Houston in 2006 and became a tenured and endowed Moores Professor.
  • Cheung has also served as a senior scientist and outreach director at the Center for Theoretical Biological Physics at Rice University.
  • Cheung joined PNNL and the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory in Richland, Washington in 2021.

The players

Margaret Cheung

A computational scientist and biological physicist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, with a joint appointment in the Department of Physics at the University of Washington. She was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for her significant contributions and achievements in scientific research and applications.

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

The world's largest multidisciplinary scientific society, which elects fellows annually for their significant contributions and achievements across various scientific disciplines.

Department of Energy (DOE)

The federal agency that funds the Northwest Biopreparedness Research Virtual Environment (NW-BRaVE) Initiative, which Cheung leads as the principal investigator.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL)

A Department of Energy Office of Science user facility located at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington, where Cheung holds a joint appointment.

University of Washington

The institution where Cheung holds a joint appointment in the Department of Physics.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

The takeaway

Margaret Cheung's election as an AAAS fellow recognizes her exceptional contributions to scientific research and applications, particularly in the areas of computational biology and physics. Her work at PNNL and the EMSL, as well as her leadership in the NW-BRaVE Initiative, demonstrates the impact of integrating diverse scientific disciplines to address complex challenges in fields like biopreparedness and disease detection.