PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Two members of the Brown University faculty have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the world’s largest general scientific societies.
Election as a fellow is a distinguished lifetime honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers, who nominate fellows for election by the AAAS Council, the association’s policymaking body. Fellows must have been continuous members of AAAS for four years before the end of the calendar year in which they are elected.
The 2024 class of fellows includes 471 scientists, engineers and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines who are being recognized for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements. The new class will be featured in the journal Science in March and celebrated at an in-person forum later this spring.
The new AAAS fellows from Brown include:
Kimberly Mowry, professor of biomedicine
Kimberly Mowry’s research is focused on understanding the mechanisms by which informational molecules, such as mRNA and protein, are localized to specified regions of the cell cytoplasm. Her recent work resulted in the discovery that RNA transport cargos are biomolecular condensates with a solid RNA phase.
Mowry joined the Brown faculty as an assistant professor in 1992, and has been recognized with honors including the Elizabeth H. Leduc Award for Excellence in Teaching in the Life Sciences and the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Graduate and Postdoctoral Teaching and Mentoring in the Biological Sciences. She has served as chair of the Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry; assistant director of the graduate program in molecular biology, cell biology and biochemistry; and director of a National Institutes of Health predoctoral training grant in molecular and cell biology and biochemistry. She is affiliated with the Brown RNA Center within the Division of Biology and Medicine and is a longtime member of the international RNA Society.
“I'm truly honored to have been elected by my peers to join this distinguished group of scientists,” Mowry said. “These are unprecedented times for science, and the AAAS is providing leadership in meeting the challenges we face; I’m very proud to be a fellow of AAAS.”
AAAS recognized Mowry for “distinguished contributions to the field of RNA localization and developmental biology in the model Xenopus oocyte system.”
Thomas Roberts, professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology
Thomas Roberts’ research aims to understand the link between muscle mechanical behavior and locomotor performance. He is known for discovering mechanisms that improve muscular performance in animals for a wide range of movements, which has inspired the design of robots, prosthetics and exoskeletal devices. Recent work showing the importance of intramuscular fluid for transferring forces during contraction has implications for the understanding of changes in muscle stiffness that occur in many neuromuscular disorders.
Since joining Brown in 2004, Roberts has been a dedicated mentor, with many of his former graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and research assistants now leading their own successful research programs at institutions across the U.S. and abroad. In 2023, Roberts was appointed senior associate dean for the program in biology at Brown. He is a member of the American Physiological Society, the American Society of Biomechanics, the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, and the Society for Experimental Biology.
“It’s an honor to receive this recognition from my peers,” Roberts said. “As a scientist, I feel privileged to have the opportunity to pursue discovery through research, and grateful for the mentors, students and colleagues who share this commitment and passion.”
AAAS recognized Roberts for “distinguished contributions to the fields of physiology and biomechanics, particularly for demonstrating that tendons are central players in the conversion of muscle energy into body motion.”