Rheology is the branch of physics and material science that studies the flow and deformation of matter. In commemoration of the scientific achievements of James Gardner Oldroyd, pioneer of rheology, the European Society of Rheology introduced the Oldroyd Early Career Award in 2023. The prize is awarded annually and eligible to rheologists regardless of their geographical location.

In his work, Mazi Jalaal and his research team study the flow of complex fluids and biophysics of living organisms, with the aim to tackle industrial and environmental challenges. The citation for the award reads:

For fundamental contributions to the rheology and flow of complex fluids with deformable interfaces, and for pioneering work in active and biological materials, Dr. Mazi Jalaal has made outstanding advances through the integration of theory, experiments, and computation, while bridging fundamental rheological physics with impactful real-world applications.

The award ceremony will take place at the Annual European Rheology Conference in Krakow, Poland, from 14-17 April 2026. At the conference, Jalaal will present a plenary lecture about his work.