Two UCLA scholars named fellows of American Association for the Advancement of Science

January 11, 2011

2 min read

UCLA professors Dr. Marie-Françoise Chesselet and Dr. Hong Wu have been selected as new fellows by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general scientific society and the publisher of the journal Science. The selection of fellows has been an AAAS tradition since 1874.

Chesselet and Wu are among 503 scholars chosen this year for scientifically and socially meritorious applications of their work, according to the AAAS. They will receive official recognition Feb. 19 at the society's annual meeting, in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Marie-Françoise Chesselet, professor of neurology and neurobiology and chair UCLA's neurobiology department, was selected for "molecular, anatomical and behavioral analyses to identify the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for, and the treatment of, Parkinson's disease in animal models." The goal of Chesselet's research is to develop new therapeutic treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Hong Wu, professor of molecular and medical pharmacology, associate director of research at the translational Institute for Molecular Medicine at UCLA, and a researcher with UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, was selected for "distinguished contributions to the fields of PTEN/PI3-kinase signaling pathway, cancer biology and cancer stem cell biology." Wu's research links cancer biology and stem cell biology and suggests that tumors may originate through the transformation of stem cells.

AAAS, founded in 1848, is a nonprofit organization that includes 262 affiliated societies and science academies and serves 10 million people. The association's mission is to "advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy, international programs and science education, including its website devoted to science news, EurekAlert!, at www.eurekalert.org.

UCLA is California's largest university, with an enrollment of more than 38,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The UCLA College of Letters and Science and the university's 11 professional schools feature renowned faculty and offer 328 degree programs and majors. UCLA is a national and international leader in the breadth and quality of its academic, research, health care, cultural, continuing education and athletic programs. Six alumni and five faculty have been awarded the Nobel Prize.