Oct. 26, 2007

Five Professors Elected Fellows of Prestigious Science Society
Noted experts in neuroscience, physiology, biochemistry, bioethics
and geophysics selected for their contributions to science

Five Columbia University professors have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the world’s oldest, largest and most prestigious scientific societies.

The new fellows – who represent a range of medical specialties and departments, including cellular biophysics, biochemistry and neurobiology – join 466 additional inductees from across the nation.

“We are extremely proud of our newly elected fellows and of Columbia’s strong representation in such a highly respected organization,” said Lee Goldman, M.D., executive vice president of Columbia University and dean of the faculties of health sciences and medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, which has three new fellows. “The wide-ranging skills of our newly elected members exemplify the breadth and expertise that makes us a great institution.”

Professor Martin Chalfie

The faculty selected as AAAS fellows include:

Professor Ruth L. Fischbach

• Martin Chalfie, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Biological Sciences, is a faculty member in the doctoral program in neurobiology and behavior. He was selected for contributions to the fields of neurobiology and developmental biology, particularly for dissecting pathways underlying mechanosensation, and for developing innovative methods for fluorescently marking live cells.

• Ruth L. Fischbach, professor of bioethics (in psychiatry and sociomedical sciences), was selected for contributions to the field of medical ethics and for research on issues in bioethics including neuroethics, stem cell research and advances in assisted reproductive technology.

Professor Stephen P. Goff

• Stephen P. Goff, the Higgins Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and professor of microbiology, was selected for contributions to molecular biology and virology, particularly for discovering how interacting retroviral and host molecules mediate viral propagation and regulate signal transduction.

Professor James E. Rothman

• James E. Rothman, the Clyde ’56 and Helen Wu Professor of Physiology (chemical biology) in the Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, was cited for contributions to the understanding of protein trafficking, in particular the mechanisms by which proteins are transported in vesicles between intracellular organelles.

Professor John C. Mutter

• Columbia geophysicist John C. Mutter has been elected a geology and geography fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for his work on global tectonics together with his work on understanding the role of science in sustainable development and elevating the world's poor. He is a professor at the School of International and Public Affairs, and a professor in the department of earth and environmental sciences. He conducts research at Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

Fellows – selected by the greater AAAS membership from among its own ranks – are awarded this special honor because of their efforts to advance scientific applications that are deemed especially promising or socially distinguished. The new fellows will be presented with an official certificate and gold and blue (representing science and engineering, respectively) rosette pins on Saturday, Feb. 16 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Fellows Forum during the 2008 AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston. This year’s AAAS Fellows also will be announced in the AAAS News & Notes section of the journal Science on Oct. 26.