Three University Professors elected members of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences

Three University of Toronto professors have been elected international members of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.

The U.S. National Academy of Sciences is a society of distinguished scientists, which was established by an Act of Congress and signed by American president Abraham Lincoln in 1863. They provide independent and objective advice to the U.S. government on matters related to science and technology.  

Election to the academy represents one of the highest honours awarded to a scientist worldwide and is in recognition of distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Just 26 international researchers received the recognition this year, joining a total of 501 scientists from countries outside the U.S. to hold the honour. 

Each of the three new members from U of T holds the title of University Professor, a distinction that recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement and pre-eminence in a particular field of knowledge. They are:

• University Professor Brenda Andrews, the Charles H. Best Chair of Medical Research in U of T’s Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research and a professor in the department of molecular genetics in the Faculty of Medicine
• University Professor Emeritus Spencer Barrett of the department of ecology and evolutionary biology in the Faculty of Arts & Science
• University Professor Lewis Kay of the departments of molecular genetics and biochemistry in the Faculty of Medicine and the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts & Science