Academy Fellows and Honorary Life Members
The New York Academy of Sciences honors distinguished individuals through its Fellowship and Honorary Life Member awards. These awards are highly regarded in the international science community and reflect the Academy's commitment to excellence, its heritage, and serving its worldwide membership.
2006 | 2005 | 2003-2004 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999
2006
Honorary Life Members
Richard Axel
Neuroscientist; fundamental work on the sense of smell
Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine, 2004
Gairdner Foundation Award and many other awards
Howard Hughes Investigator
Columbia University Health Sciences Center
P. Roy Vagelos
Biochemist; seminal work in fatty acid metabolism which led to the development of statin drugs
Chairman of the Board and CEO (retired), Merck & Co. Inc.
Currently, Chairman, Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons Development Campaign
Member, National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine
National Business Hall of Fame
Academy Fellows
Dimitri Beskos
Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Patras, Greece
Computational mechanics, structural dynamics and earthquake engineering
B. J. Casey
Director and Sackler Professor of Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Development of brain circuitry in children with developmental disorders, using magnetic resonance imaging
Virginia Cornish
Associate Professor of Chemistry, Columbia University
Protein function at the molecular level, directed evolution to study enzyme function and engineering, manipulation of ribosome machinery to synthesize artificial polymers
Claude Desplan
Professor, Department of Biology, New York University
Genetic control of pattern development, retinal specification of color vision
Vincent Fischetti
Professor and Chairman, Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Immunology, The Rockefeller University
Mechanism of bacterial pathogenesis and immune response to infections
Uwe Gielen
Professor of Psychology, St. Francis College
Cross-cultural psychology, moral development, gender roles
Norman Horing
Professor of Physics, Stevens Institute of Technology
Semiconductor and nanostructure science, particularly dielectric properties and quantum transport
Richard Lokshin
Professor of Biological Sciences, St. John's University
Pioneering work on programmed cell death
John Morrison
Dean of Basic Science and Professor of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York
Neurodegeneration, synaptic plasticity, endocrine effects on cortical circuitry, Alzheimer's disease
Donald Pfaff
Professor, The Rockefeller University
Molecular mechanisms of behavior, how the brain manages specific natural behaviors, and hormonal and genetic influences on generalized brain arousal
Nancy Russo
Regents Professor of Psychology and Women's Studies, Arizona State University
Conceptualization of gender and the psychology of women
Ralph Steinman
Henry Kunkel Professor, Director of Christopher Browne Center for Immunology and Immune Diseases and Professor and Senior Physician, The Rockefeller University
Discover of dendritic cells. Research focuses on the biology of dendritic cells, antigen uptake and its control with the long term goal of enhancing or controlling the immune system
Gustavo Stolovitzky
Manager, Functional Genomics and Systems Biology Group, Computational Biology Center, IBM TJ Watson Research Center
Data mining of high-throughput biological data, reverse engineering biological circuits and the mathematical modeling of biological processes
Lawrence Wennogle
VP for Drug Discovery, Intra-Cellular Therapeutics, Inc., New York
Company focus on drug development for treatment of neurological and psychiatric diseases; previous research on brain cholecystokinin receptors
2005
Honorary Life Members
Judah Folkman
For his work in molecular biology, angiogenesis research, and cancer biology. He was director, Vascular Biology Program, senior associate in Surgery and director, Surgical Research Laboratory, Children's Hospital, Boston MA. He was also professor of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School.
Matthew Meselson
For his work in genetics, molecular biology, and on chemical and biological agents. He is the Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of Natural Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology; faculty chair, Chemical & Biological Weapons Studies at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; and co-director, Harvard Sussex Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. He is also an adjunct scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA.
Academy Fellows
M. Flint Beal
For his work in neurodegenerative disorders and antioxidant damage. He is chairman of Neurology and Neuroscience, and neurologist-in-chief, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York.
Andrea Califano
For his work in computational and systems biology. He is professor, Department of Biomedical Informatics; co-director, Center for Computational Biochemistry and Biosystems; chief of Bioinformatics Division, Department of Biomedical Informatics; director, Genome Center Bioinformatics, Columbia University, New York.
Ronald Dahl
For his work in adolescent development, pediatric sleep disorders, and behavioral/emotional heath in children. He is Staunton Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA.
Titia de Lange
For her work in cell biology, genetics, and telomeric complexes. She is Leon Hess Professor, Head of Laboratory of Cell Biology and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York.
Lloyd Guth
For his work in neuroscience and on spinal cord injuries. He is visiting professor, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Reeve-Irvine Research Center, UCI School of Medicine, Irvine, CA.
Joseph LeDoux
For his work in neural science and the role of the amygdala and emotions. He is Henry and Lucy Moses Professor of Science, Center for Neural Science, Department of Psychology, New York University, New York.
David Perlin
For his work in microbiology and fungal infections. He is scientific director, Public Health Research Institute, Newark, NJ.
Carol Shoshkes-Reiss
For her work in virology and neuroimmunology. She is professor, Department of Biology; adjunct professor of Microbiology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, New York University, New York; adjunct professor of Microbiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York; and editor-in-chief, Viral Immunology.
Saw-Teen See
For her work in structural and civil engineering. She is managing partner, Leslie E. Robertson Associates.
Shirley Tilghman
For her work in genetics and molecular biology. She is president and professor of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.
Thomas Tuschl
For his work in the regulatory mechanisms of RNA interference and nuclear pre-mRNA splicing. He is investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; associate professor and head of Laboratory for RNA Molecular Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York.
George Yancopoulos
For his work in biochemistry, cell signaling, and biotechnology. He is president of Laboratories, chief scientific officer/executive vice-president, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., New York. He is also an adjunct full professor, Department of Microbiology, Columbia University, New York, and an adjunct full professor, Department of Microbiology, New York Medical College.
2003-2004
Honorary Life Members
Francis Crick
Co-discover of structure of DNA, molecular biologist, and neurobiologist. He was the J.W. Kieckhefer Distinguished Research Professor, Salk Institute for Biological Research, La Jolla, CA.
William T. Golden
Leader, designer, and friend of numerous scientific organizations, he was the Honorary Lifetime Governor of the New York Academy of Sciences and also Chairman Emeritus, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY.
Academy Fellows
Elaine Fuchs
Professor and HHMI Investigator. The Rockefeller University, New York.
William Haseltine
Molecular biologist and entrepreneur; Chairman and CEO, Human Genome Sciences, Inc., Rockville, MD.
Mohammad Jamshidi
Regents Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM.
Steve Jonas
Professor of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook, NY.
W. Ian Lipkin
Director, Center for Immunopathogenesis and Infectious Diseases, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York.
Richard Mayeux
Gertrude H. Sergievsky Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry and Epidemiology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York.
Gerald Sussman
Matsushita Professor of Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.
2002
Honorary Life Members
Dudley R. Herschbach
Dudley Herschbach has been Baird Professor of Science at Harvard University, where he has also served as chairman of the Chemical Physics Program and the Chemistry Department. Among his many awards have been the Linus Pauling Medal, the National Medal of Science, and the 1986 Nobel Prize in chemistry for "contributions concerning the dynamics of chemical elementary processes." Dr. Herschbach is also nationally recognized for his efforts to improve K-12 science education and the public understanding of science.
Ernst Mayr
Ernst Mayr was called the "greatest living evolutionary biologist." He was best known for clarifying how a new species forms and adapts to changes in its environment, work which integrates the theories of Darwin and Mendel. After two decades at the American Museum of Natural History, he went to Harvard in 1953, where he was the Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology, Emeritus. He was the recipient of the National Medal of Science, as well as the "triple crown" of biology—the Balzan Prize, the International Prize for Biology, and the Crafoord Prize.
Academy Fellows
Linda G. Basch
Executive director of the National Council for Research on Women, a working alliance of 95 university-based and policy-oriented research centers focused on women and girls. She directs and manages research, publications, conferences, and links to academic institutions, national non-profit organizations, and corporations.
Jeanne Brooks-Gunn
Professor and founding director of the Institute on Child and Family Policy at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is a National Fellow of the Harvard University Multi-disciplinary Training Program in Inequality and Social Policy and recently won the Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy Award from the American Psychological Association.
Sam Gandy
Director of the Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. A frequent speaker on immunology and aging, he is chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Fisher Foundation for Alzheimer's Research.
Roberta B. Miller
Director of the Center for International Earth Science Information Network and Senior Research Scientist at Columbia University. She has been a member of the Committee on Global Change Research of the National Research Council.
Fujio Numano
Director of the Tokyo Vascular Disease Institute and Emeritus Professor of the Tokyo Medical and Dental University. He has been a leader, internationally, in the field of atherosclerosis research.
Fred Plum
Professor and chairman of the Department of Neurology and Neurosciences at Cornell University-Weill Medical College. His principal research work involves the study of various aspects of the neurology of human consciousness.
Shirley Raps
Professor and chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at Hunter College. Among her many awards was a major grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Biological Sciences Education Program.
H. Bruce Rinker
Director of Research and Conservation of the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida. Mr. Rinker is a distinguished pioneer in the field of forest canopy ecology.
Bassam Shakhashiri
Professor of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin and holder of the William T. Evjue Distinguished Chair. He has made significant contributions to United States National Science Policy, toward scientific literacy and the public understanding of science, and to the development of a highly qualified scientific workforce.
Nancy Tooney
Associate dean for Engineering and Applied Sciences at Polytechnic University. She is currently project director and principal investigator for a NSF grant in support of disadvantaged students in Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarships.
2001
Honorary Life Members
Gro Harlem Brundtland
Director of the World Health Organization, former minister of the Environment, and former prime minister of Norway. She has spent much of her political career working on issues of global significance. She established and chaired the World Commission on Environment and Development, which led to the creation of the Earth Summit--the United Nations conference on environment and development in Rio de Janeiro. Now, as director of the World Health Organization, she is using her skills as doctor, politician, activist, and manager to carry out the organization's mission.
Harold Varmus
Former director of the National Institutes of Health and co-recipient of a Nobel Prize for studies of the genetic basis of cancer. He is currently the president and chief executive officer of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. In addition to authoring over 300 scientific papers and four books, Varmus has been an advisor to the federal government, pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms, and many academic institutions. Currently, he serves on the World Health Organization's Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, advisory committees on electronic publishing, and a National Research Council panel on genetically modified organisms.
Academy Fellows
Brian T. Chait
Head, Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry and Gaseous Ion Chemistry, The Rockefeller University
David Cowburn
Head, Laboratory of Physical Biochemistry, The Rockefeller University
Christian de Duve
Christian de Duve Institute of Cellular Pathology, Brussels, Belgium
Samuel Devons
Professor emeritus of Physics, Columbia University
Emmanuel Gdoutos
Director, Laboratory of Applied Mechanics, Department of Civil Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece
Jordan Grafman
Chief, Cognitive Neuroscience Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland
Godfrey Gumbs
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Hunter College, City University of New York
Herbert Hauptman
President, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo, New York
Lisa Klein
Department of Ceramics and Materials Engineering, Rutgers University
Tsu-Tien Lee
Department of Electrical and Control Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Peter Model
Laboratory of Genetics, The Rockefeller University
Donald Orlic
National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
Myrna Weissman
New York Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
2000
Honorary Life Members
Mildred Spiwak Dresselhaus
The recently named Director of Science for the U.S. Department of Energy. A long-time member of the MIT faculty, she has received the National Medal of Science and 16 honorary degrees; her research has spanned many areas of solid state physics, especially carbon science.
Tsung-Dao Lee
Enrico Fermi Professor in the Department of Physics, Columbia University. Professor Lee was co-winner of the Nobel Prize in physics in 1953 for research showing that parity is not conserved in weak interactions, one of the most important discoveries in the development of modern high energy and particle physics.
Academy Fellows
Ralph Alpher,
Distinguished Research Professor, Department of Physics, Union College
Bruce Ames
Professor, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley
David Chang
President, Polytechnic University
Robert Goldberger,
Professor Emeritus and Provost Emeritus of Health Sciences, Columbia University
Matthew Goldstein,
Chancellor, City University of New York
Daniel Griffith,
Professor, Department of Geography, Syracuse University
Frances Degen Horowitz,
President, Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York
Calestous Juma,
Senior Research Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
Mary-Jeanne Kreek,
Professor, Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University
Asad Madni,
President and CEO, BEI Sensors and Systems Company, Inc.
Dennis Mangano,
Clinician and Researcher, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Professor, University of California, San Francisco
Iwao Ojima,
Distinguished Professor, Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Stony Brook
Mortimer D. Sackler,
Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Purdue Pharma L.P.
Raymond R. Sackler,
Co-Chief Executive Office, Purdue Pharma L.P.
Samuel Silverstein,
Professor, Department of Physiology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Anna Marie Skalka,
Director, Basic Science, Fox Chase Cancer Center
Norton Zinder,
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Professor Emeritus, The Rockefeller University.
1999
Academy Fellows
Robert R. Alfano
Distinguished Professor of Science and Engineering, City College of New York, CUNY
Jesse H. Ausubel
Senior Research Associate, The Rockefeller University
Phaedon Avouris
Manager, Nanometer Scale Science and Technology, T.J. Watson Research Center, IBM Corporation
Gerald M. Edelman
Chair, Neurobiology, The Scripps Research Institute
Harvey V. Fineberg
Provost, Harvard University
Alan Friedman
Director, New York Hall of Science
D. Frank Hsu
Professor of Computer Science, Fordham University
Barbara Petrack
Senior Research Fellow, Norvartis (ret.); Dana Research Institute, Drew University
Oliver W. Sacks
Neurologist and author
A. George Schillinger
Professor Emeritus of Engineering and Management, Polytechnic University
Daniel Schutzer
Vice President and Director of External Standards and Advanced Technology, e-Citi, Citibank
Suresh P. Sethi
Ashbel Smith Professor of Operations Management, University of Texas at Dallas
David E. Shaw
President, D. E. Shaw & Co.
Sydel F. Silverman
President, Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research
Lowell Steele
Vice President (ret.), General Electric Co.; Technology Planning and Management Consultant; Adjunct Professor Emeritus, Polytechnic University
Joseph F. Traub
Edwin Howard Armstrong Professor of Computer Science, Columbia University
Kosta Tsipis
Principal Research Scientist, and Founder and Director, Program in Science & Technology for International Security, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Neil de Grasse Tyson
Visiting Research Scientist and Lecturer in Astrophysics, Princeton University; Frederick P. Rose Director, Hayden Planetarium, American Museum of Natural History
George M. Whitesides
Mallinckrodt Professor of Chemistry, Harvard University