Three members of the Yale School of Medicine faculty — plus four from other areas at Yale — are among 250 accomplished individuals who have been elected new members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Each year, the academy — an honorary society and independent policy organization with initiatives in the arts, democracy, education, global affairs, and science — elects new members in recognition of their notable achievements in academia, industry, policy, research, and science.
The names of the newly elected members were announced on April 24. View the full list from Yale.
“We honor these artists, scholars, scientists, and leaders in the public, non-profit, and private sectors for their accomplishments and for the curiosity, creativity, and courage required to reach new heights,” said David W. Oxtoby, the academy's president. “We invite these exceptional individuals to join in the academy’s work to address serious challenges and advance the common good.”
The new members from the School of Medicine are:
Susan Baserga, MD, PhD, William H. Fleming, M.D. Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and professor of genetics and of therapeutic radiology, who has a longstanding interest in fundamental aspects of ribosome biogenesis, the nucleolus, and human diseases associated with defective ribosomes (ribosomopathies), and on the impact of ribosome biogenesis on cell growth, cell division, and cancer. Her laboratory uses a wide array of biochemical, genetic, and biophysical techniques to study the process and regulation of ribosome biogenesis, and utilizes model systems including yeast, mammalian cells, zebrafish, and frogs (Xenopus tropicalis).
Marina Picciotto, PhD, Charles B. G. Murphy Professor of Psychiatry, and professor in the Yale Child Study Center, of neuroscience, and of pharmacology, who studies the role of single molecules in complex behaviors related to addiction, depression, and learning. Using molecular genetic, pharmacological, and in vivo imaging approaches, she and her lab aim to link the biochemical, cellular, circuit, and anatomical levels found through investigation to behavior. Of primary interest is the role of acetylcholine and acetylcholine receptors in brain function and development, as well as sex differences in molecular and circuit-level signaling relevant for behavior.
Karin M. Reinisch, PhD, David W. Wallace Professor of Cell Biology and professor of molecular biophysics and biochemistry, who conducts research on molecular mechanisms in membrane trafficking and membrane biology. Her lab is focused on understanding how membrane composition is established and regulated. Reinisch is particularly interested in phosphoinositide lipids, which are critical in signal transduction pathways, and their homeostasis. Using X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy, and biochemistry and biophysics, her lab seeks to understand their structure and function, then test hypotheses arising from these studies using cell biology techniques.
The academy was founded in 1780 by John Adams, John Hancock, and other early leaders of the United States with the purpose of honoring exceptionally accomplished individuals and engaging them in the betterment of society. The first members elected in 1781 included Benjamin Franklin and George Washington.