Professor of Biochemistry Ann Palmenberg, known for her work in molecular virology, has been elected a 2016 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). She is one of five faculty from the University of Wisconsin–Madison named a Fellow this year.
Election as a AAAS Fellow, a tradition begun in 1874, is recognition by peers for distinguished contributions to advance science or its applications.
“It is indeed an honor to be elected as a Fellow of such an illustrious Academy,” says Palmenberg, who is also part of the Institute for Molecular Virology. “That many of our UW faculty are already AAAS Fellows speaks to the national and international level of respect achieved by the UW in our research, teaching, and service endeavors.”
Palmenberg was honored for her groundbreaking research in the field of positive-strand RNA molecular virology and for outstanding leadership in the American Society for Virology.
David Brow, a professor in the Department of Biomolecular Chemistry (BMC), was also named a Fellow. BMC and Biochemistry have a joint graduate program called the Integrated Program in Biochemistry. Brow has made contributions to the field of RNA biology, particularly in determining the structure and function of macromolecular machines responsible for eukaryotic gene expression.
Three other faculty members from UW–Madison have been named Fellows. They include:
- Hannah V. Carey, a professor of comparative biosciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine, for contributions to the field of biology, notably studies of the physiology of mammalian hibernation and the microbiome.
- Sne?ana Stanimirovi?, professor of astronomy, for pioneering radio studies of interstellar gas in the Milky Way and the Magellanic Cloud and improving understanding of transitions between phases and the role of interstellar turbulence.
- John W. Valley, professor of geoscience, for contributions to geochemistry leading to a deeper understanding of the geologic evolution of the early Earth and also for the development of analytical methods that have opened new frontiers of research.
Founded in 1848, AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society. It includes nearly 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving nearly 10 million constituents.
This story was modified from a press release originally written by Terry Devitt of University Communications. See the original press release here.