Eight Yale faculty members were elected as 2024 fellows at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or AAAS. Since 1874, the AAAS has annually selected a group of scientists to honor their achievements in research, teaching, industry, government, scientific communication and academia. This year, the Yale faculty recognized were David Hafler, Leonard Milstone ’66 MED ’70, Ruth Montgomery, Thomas Near, Karla Neugebauer, William Nordhaus ’63, Craig Roy and Jeffery Townsend.
Karla Neugebauer is a professor of molecular biophysics and biochemistry and cell biology at Yale College and the School of Medicine. Her studies focus mainly on understanding the basic processes that happen in RNA, a molecule pivotal to the central dogma of life.
Diseases like neurodegenerative disorders and cancer arise when these processes are interrupted, and Neugebauer and her lab work to explore why this happens, how it can be mitigated and potential avenues for cures.
“The idea that as a young person you can become fascinated with really basic questions, and that is what drives scientists is that question, that curiosity, how does this thing work?” Neugebauer told the News. “Then along the way you discover, maybe we could save someone’s life with this.”
Read more at the Yale Daily News.