Four scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). They are chemist Phil Baran, neuroscientist Hollis Cline, immunologist J. Lindsay Whitton, and chemist Jin-Quan Yu. Election as a AAAS fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers
"I'm delighted Phil, Holly, Lindsay, and Jin are being recognized for their accomplishments," said Michael A. Marletta, TSRI president and CEO. "These honors are well deserved and reflect the excellence of our faculty. It is reassuring that outside recognition comes for those we know are outstanding scientists."
This year's 702 new fellows, to be formally announced in the November 30 edition of the journal Science, were selected because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.
Baran, a professor in TSRI's Department of Chemistry, was cited "for outstanding contributions to the field of organic synthesis, particularly for the development of new strategies in total synthesis and the invention of useful methods."
Cline, who is Hahn Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Cell Biology and a member of TSRI's Dorris Neuroscience Center, was recognized "for seminal studies of how sensory experience affects the development of brain structures and function and for generous national and international advisory service to neuroscience."
Whitton, a professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, was lauded "for contributions to viral immunology and pathogenesis, for developing the first epitope-based vaccines and revealing how rapidly T cells control virus infections in vivo."