Announcements: Kudos

Three New NIH Members of the National Academy of Sciences

Congratulations to the three NIHers who were elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2022: Michael Lichten (NCI-CCR); Deborah Morrison (NCI-CCR); and Julie Segre (NHGRI).

The National Academies provide expert advice to the U.S. government on issues of science, health, and engineering and, today, comprise three private, nonprofit institutions: The National Academy of Sciences (NAS), National Academy of Engineering, and National Academy of Medicine. The NAS is the oldest of these, established by the U.S. Congress in 1863.

Membership to the Academies is considered one of the highest honors bestowed to a U.S. scientist.

Michael Lichten (NCI-CCR) studies the changes our DNA-containing chromosomes undergo during meiosis, the process of cell divison that gives rise to sperm and egg cells. Errors in this process are a leading cause of infertility and birth defects in modern human populations. His work, which uses budding yeast as a model system, aims to describe the molecular steps that occur as chromosomes exchange genetic material during meiosis and how those steps are regulated.

Deborah Morrison (NCI-CCR) is a leader in the study of the RAF protein kinases, which play a key role in cellular growth and development. Dysregulation of RAF activity contributes to human diseases, including cancer and certain developmental syndromes. Her work has provided critical insights into the biochemical and structural basis of RAF activation and has guided the design of new therapeutic strategies.

Julie Segre (NHGRI) develops methods to characterize microbial communities with genomic sequencing and analysis, which offer significant advantages over traditional culture-based studies to capture microbial diversity. She has contributed to foundational studies of the human skin microbiome and the tracking of hospital-associated bacterial pathogens.

To view a list of all the NIH members of NAS, go to https://irp.nih.gov/about-us/honors/the-national-academy-of-sciences. To view a full list of other honors (Nobel Prize, Lasker Award, National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Medicine, and more), go to https://irp.nih.gov/about-us/honors.