Five faculty members from the University of Pennsylvania have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Three are from the Perelman School of Medicine, one is from the School of Arts and Sciences and one has appointments both at Penn Medicine and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

They are among 388 members of AAAS awarded the distinction this year for “their efforts toward advancing science applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished.”

Frederic D. Bushman, professor of microbiology at the Perelman School of Medicine, was elected for distinguished contributions to microbiology, including methods development, bioinformatics and translational research to characterize host pathogen interactions.

Andrew Dancis, associate professor of medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, was elected for pioneering discoveries of exceptional significance on the fundamental mechanisms by which organisms acquire, distribute, utilize and regulate the essential metal iron.

Robert W. Doms, pathologist-in-chief and chair of pathology and laboratory medicine at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, was elected for his significant discoveries in virus entry, including his work in identifying host cell pathways that HIV and other disease-causing viruses use to infect cells, and in investigating how AIDS develops.

J. Kevin Foskett, chair of the Department of Physiology at the Perelman School of Medicine, was elected for pioneering studies of the InsP3R calcium channel and molecular mechanisms and roles of calcium signaling in Alzheimer's disease, programmed cell death and cellular bioenergetics. 

Philip A. Rea, professor of biology in the School of Arts and Sciences and Rebecka and Arie Belldegrun Distinguished Director of the Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management, was elected for outstanding fundamental research discoveries on the membrane transport and detoxification of xenobiotics and for distinguished accomplishments and creativity in science education.

The new Fellows will be honored on Feb. 15 at the AAAS Fellows Forum during the 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting in Chicago.

Media interested in interviewing or getting information about Robert W. Doms should contact John Ascenzi at ascenzi@email.chop.edu or 267-426-6055.