Four faculty members from Washington University in St. Louis have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society. The highest honor awarded by AAAS, the rank of fellow is bestowed upon members by their peers in recognition of scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.
Of the Washington University honorees, three are from the School of Medicine and one is from the College of Arts and Sciences. They are:
- Garland E. Allen, Ph.D., professor of biology, was elected to the Section on History and Philosophy of Science for his sustained commitment to understanding the history and social implications of genetics and eugenics, for exemplary work in biology education and for professional leadership and service.
- Scott Hultgren, Ph.D., the Helen L. Stoever Professor of Molecular Microbiology and director of the Center for Woman’s Infectious Disease Research, was elected to the Section on Medical Sciences for distinguished contributions based on a multidisciplinary approach to identify virulence factors in the pathogenesis of uropathogenic E. coli. These studies are leading to new and better treatments and clinical diagnoses for urinary tract infections.
- Andrey S. Shaw, M.D., the Emil R. Unanue Professor of Immunobiology in Pathology and Immunology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator in Pathology and Immunology, was elected to the Section on Biological Sciences for distinguished contributions to the field of immunology, particularly for studies of signaling in T-cells.
- Wayne Yokoyama, M.D., the Sam J. Levin and Audrey Loew Levin Chair for Research on Arthritis, professor of medicine, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and director of the Medical Scientist Training Program, was elected to the Section on Medical Sciences for distinguished contributions in characterizing natural killer (NK) cell receptors and their functions.
This year, the 531 members who were named AAAS Fellows will be announced in the Dec. 18 issue of the journal Science, published by AAAS. Fellows will be recognized in February at the AAAS Annual Meeting in San Diego.
An international non-profit organization, AAAS is dedicated to advancing science around the world by serving as an educator, leader, spokesperson and professional association. Founded in 1848, the association includes some 262 affiliated societies and academies of science serving 10 million individuals.
Washington University in St. Louis is counted among the world’s leaders in teaching and research, and it draws students and faculty to St. Louis from all 50 states and more than 125 nations. Some 13,400 undergraduate, graduate and professional students enroll each year.
Washington University School of Medicine’s 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked third in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.