Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Professor and HHMI Investigator Rob Martienssen has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is one of 261 new members to join the prestigious institution this year.
Martienssen is best known for his groundbreaking work in the field of genetics, including his contributions in defining the role of RNA interference (RNAi) in silencing genes and stabilizing the genome across generations. His current work focuses on investigating the epigenetic mechanisms of plants, and understanding their role in gene regulation and inheritance. He is also an expert on transposable elements, or “jumping genes,” studying how they regulate other genes and are in turn regulated during plant development.
“On behalf of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s Board of Trustees, faculty, students and staff, I congratulate Rob Martienssen on his election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,” said CSHL President and CEO Bruce Stillman. “Rob’s contributions to CSHL, to the plant biology community and science in general has been outstanding, and this is a very well deserved honor.”
Martienssen now joins the ranks of other CSHL faculty who have been elected as members to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, including President and CEO Bruce Stillman, Director of Research David Spector, and Professor and HHMI Investigator Leemor Joshua-Tor.
Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is one of the country’s oldest learned societies and independent policy research centers, convening leaders from the academic, business, and government sectors to respond to the challenges facing—and opportunities available to—the nation and the world. Members contribute to Academy publications and studies in science, engineering, and technology policy; global security and international affairs; the humanities, arts, and education; and American institutions and the public good.
“We are celebrating a depth of achievements in a breadth of areas,” said David Oxtoby, President of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. “These individuals excel in ways that excite us and inspire us at a time when recognizing excellence, commending expertise, and working toward the common good is absolutely essential to realizing a better future.”
Written by: Sara Roncero-Menendez, Media Strategist | publicaffairs@cshl.edu | 516-367-8455