Twelve members of Vanderbilt University’s faculty have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) this year.
They are among 401 fellows from around the country selected by their peers because of their “scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.”
“We are very proud of the contributions of these outstanding faculty to discovery and learning, which enriches the entire university,” Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Susan R. Wente said. “In addition to their remarkable scientific contributions, we’re additionally gratified that several have been recognized for their service to the scientific community, mentoring and efforts to increase diversity in the sciences.”
The new fellows will be recognized on Feb. 14 at the 2015 AAAS annual meeting in San Jose, California.
Vanderbilt now has 106 AAAS fellows among its current and emeritus faculty and staff. More than half of the fellows – 59 – were elected during the last four years, reflecting remarkable momentum and growth of the university’s academic reputation.
“The exponential growth in the number of our faculty elected into the AAAS in recent years offers further affirmation of Vanderbilt’s increasing impact on medicine and science,” said Jeff Balser, M.D., Ph.D., vice chancellor for Health Affairs and dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “I want to congratulate these 12 outstanding colleagues for their contributions to our institution and for the advancement of scientific discovery through their work.”
The new fellows and their achievements are:
- Naji Abumrad, M.D., the John L. Sawyers Professor of Surgery and chair of the department, for distinguished contributions to the field of human metabolism and the pathophysiology of obesity that leads to metabolic syndrome, and for outstanding mentoring and leadership;
- David Bader, Ph.D., the Gladys Parkinson Stahlman Professor of Cardiovascular Research and professor of Medicine and of Cell and Developmental Biology, for distinguished contributions to the field of developmental biology, particularly cardiac development, and for service to the scientific community of developmental biology;
- Richard Breyer, Ph.D., the Ruth King Scoville Professor of Medicine and professor of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, for distinguished contributions to the field of pharmacology, particularly using targeted gene disruption and receptor mutagenesis to study prostaglandin action in renal and cardiovascular physiology;
- Agnes Fogo, M.D., the John L. Shapiro Professor of Pathology and professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, for distinguished research in the field of nephrology and pathology, and for seminal advances in mechanisms and potential of regression of glomerulosclerosis;
- Richard Hoover, Ph.D., associate dean of the Graduate School, professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, and associate professor of Pediatrics, for distinguished contributions to endothelial cell biology research, and to diversity among graduate students and postdoctoral fellows as associate dean;
- W. Gray Jerome, Ph.D., associate professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology and of Cancer Biology, for distinguished contributions to the fields of microscopy and pathology, particularly the correlation of structural change with disease, and for service to the scientific community;
- Simon Mallal, M.B.B.S., the Major E.B. Stahlman Professor of Infectious Diseases and Inflammation and professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, for distinguished contributions to personalized genetic medicine, particularly in the area of immunogenetics and host-pathogen interactions;
- Fernando Polack, M.D., the Cesar Milstein Professor of Pediatrics, for seminal research in respiratory virus pathogenesis and immunity, and for leadership of large-scale translation of basic science knowledge into public health interventions in international settings;
- Donald Rubin, M.D., professor of Medicine and of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, for distinguished contributions in virology, immunology, host genetics and genomics related to intracellular infection; for leadership in curriculum development; and for mentorship of minority students;
- Jeffrey Schall, Ph.D., the E. Bronson Ingram Professor of Neuroscience and professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, for groundbreaking empirical and theoretical work elucidating the neural substrates of visual perception, attention, eye movements, cognitive control and decision making;
- James Thomas, M.D., professor of Medicine and of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology and director of the Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, for distinguished contributions to understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms in the immune response to insulin and its role in type 1 diabetes; and
- David Wright, Ph.D., Stevenson Professor of Chemistry and chair of the department, for exceptional contributions to bioinorganic chemistry and its application to infectious disease diagnosis and treatment, particularly in the fields of malaria and RNA viruses.
For more information on AAAS fellows, visit the ASSS website.
