Ten Johns Hopkins researchers named American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows

Ten Johns Hopkins University researchers are among 508 distinguished scholars elected to the newest class of fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or AAAS, the world's largest general scientific society. Fellows are selected annually for their contributions to their respective fields and the body of science as a whole.

The 2022 class of fellows will be celebrated in Washington, D.C., this summer and will be featured in the AAAS news and notes section of Science in February.

The AAAS Fellows from Johns Hopkins are:

Gregory Bergey – Neuroscience

Gregory Bergey is a professor of neurology, director of the Johns Hopkins Epilepsy Center, and codirector of the Epilepsy Research Laboratory at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His research and practice focus on the diagnosis and treatment of seizures and epilepsy, including the treatment of intractable epilepsy and evaluations for seizure surgery. Bergey is recognized for distinguished contributions to the field of neuroscience, particularly studies of patterns of seizure onset, propagation, and cessation; investigations into computer-simulated neural networks; and efforts to treat epilepsy with neuromodulation.

Xin Chen – Biological sciences

Xin Chen is a professor in the Department of Biology at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. A Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, Chen's research focuses on the epigenetic regulation in adult stem cell lineages and during development. Chen is recognized for her distinguished contributions to the field of epigenetics, and particularly for discovering asymmetric histone segregation during Drosophila germline stem cell division.

Xinzhong Dong – Neuroscience

Xinzhong Dong is a professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. His research has identified many genes specifically expressed in the pain-sensing neurons of the spinal dorsal root ganglia. Using approaches that include molecular biology, mouse genetics and behavior, and electrophysiology, his research examines the function of these genes in pain and itch sensations. Dong is recognized for his distinguished contributions to the field of sensory biology, particularly for the molecular, cellular, and circuit mechanisms underlying pain and itch.

Juliette Lecomte – Chemistry

Juliette Lecomte is a professor in the Department of Biophysics at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. Lecomte's laboratory studies experimental biophysical chemistry with a primary focus on heme proteins. Lecomte is recognized for her distinguished contributions to the determinants of protein structure, function, stability, and dynamics in solution using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, particularly in relation to the globin family and its origins.

Rajini Rao – Medical sciences

Rajini Rao is a professor of physiology and director of the graduate program in cellular and molecular medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her research studies the roles of intracellular ion transport in health and disease. She has mentored more than 20 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in her lab, many of whom have won national awards and independent fellowships. Rao is recognized for exceptional advancements to the molecular physiology of ionic transport across membranes, and for her sustained contributions to the training and mentoring of junior scientists.

Douglas Robinson – Biological sciences

Douglas Robinson is a professor and cell biologist at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His research investigates how cells form the shapes required for the specialized functions necessary for human health, and he has been honored several times for his work to advance STEM diversity and inclusion efforts. Robinson is recognized for his distinguished contributions to the field of cell biology, particularly in mechanobiology, and for making STEM and the medical health sciences accessible and inclusive for all.

Antony Rosen – Medical sciences

Antony Rosen is a professor and the vice dean of research at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His laboratory investigates the mechanisms shared by the autoimmune rheumatic diseases such as lupus, myositis, rheumatoid arthritis, and scleroderma, while also focusing on better understanding the mechanisms that form the striking connections between autoimmunity and cancer. Rosen is recognized for pioneering contributions to our understanding of autoimmune diseases in humans and an outstanding record of leadership in academic medicine.

Ethan Vishniac – Astronomy

Ethan Vishniac is a research professor and theoretical astrophysicist in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on the dynamics of magnetic fields in the accretion disks, stars, and galaxies to better understand the origin of large-scale magnetic fields. Vishniac is recognized for advancing our understanding of magnetic fields that shape the cosmos on multiple scales, and for his distinguished service to the scientific community as a journal editor.

Tza-Huei (Jeff) Wang – Engineering

Tza-Huei (Jeff) Wang is a professor in mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering at the Whiting School of Engineering. His research focuses on the development of innovative micro- and nano-biotechnologies for molecular analysis and biomedical research, with a particular focus on advancing the detection of genetic and epigenetic biomarkers for cancer and other diseases to improve patient outcomes. Wang is recognized for distinguished contributions to the development of bioanalytical methods for molecular analysis and biomedical research, including circulating tumor DNA detection and point-of-care diagnostics.

Elias Zerhouni – Medical sciences

Elias Zerhouni is a former professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where he also served as vice dean for research and executive vice dean. From 2002 to 2008 he was the director of the National Institutes of Health before returning to Johns Hopkins as a senior adviser for Johns Hopkins Medicine in 2009. Later in 2009, President Obama appointed Zerhouni one of the first presidential U.S. science envoys. Zerhouni is recognized for pioneering contributions to the field of radiology and public service as director of the NIH and as global science envoy and adviser, fostering collaborative leadership and solutions.

AAAS was founded in 1848 and includes more than 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. The nonprofit AAAS is open to all and fulfills its mission to "advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy, international programs, science education, public engagement, and more.