Peking University, April 15, 2026: The 2026 International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP) award recipients were announced on January 21, 2026. Professor Gan Yiqun of Peking University's School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences has been awarded the 2026 IAAP Distinguished Scientific Contributions Award.

Professor Gan Yiqun

This award is one of the highest honors from IAAP, recognizing scholars who have made outstanding contributions to applied psychology globally. Two recipients were selected this year. The other one is Professor Gary Latham of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, an authority in organizational psychology and motivation research who co-founded Goal Setting Theory with Edwin Locke.

Professor Gan, known for her research in health psychology, stress coping mechanisms, psychological resilience and digital mental health, integrates advanced methods to explore the neurobiological and genetic mechanisms behind stress. She has pioneered the use of large language models and mobile sensing technologies in mental health.

Professor Gan currently serves as President of IAAP’s Health Psychology Division and co Editor-in-Chief of Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, one of IAAP’s flagship journals. She became a Fellow of IAAP in 2018 and an Outstanding International Member of the Health Psychology Society of the American Psychological Association in 2019.

The award ceremony will take place at the 31st International Congress of Applied Psychology (ICAP) in Florence, Italy, on July 21, 2026.

Written by: Tang Xiao Tong, Chris
Edited by: Chen Shizhuo
Source: PKU News (Chinese)