Professors Susan Baserga and Karin Reinisch have been elected as new members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS), among seven Yale faculty members and 250 accomplished individuals recognized for their significant contributions across various fields, including neuroscience, public policy, medicine, theater, and mathematics.
Susan Baserga, the William H. Fleming, M.D. Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry in Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences and professor of genetics and of therapeutic radiology at Yale School of Medicine, has a long-standing interest in fundamental aspects of ribosome biogenesis, the nucleolus, human diseases of making 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).
Karin M. Reinisch, the David W. Wallace Professor of Cell Biology at Yale School of Medicine and of molecular biophysics and biochemistry in Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, 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.
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 new members include 25 International Honorary Members.
The names of the newly elected members were announced on April 24. View the full list.
“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 AAAS president. “We invite these exceptional individuals to join in the Academy’s work to address serious challenges and advance the common good.”
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.
Other newly elected members include actor, director, and producer George Clooney; Apple CEO Tim Cook; investor and philanthropist Grant Hill; and author Jhumpa Lahiri.
The new members will be inducted during a ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts in September.