Rogel Cancer Center Director Eric Fearon named AAAS fellow

Media contact:  Nicole Fawcett,  734-764-2220 |  Patients may contact Cancer AnswerLine,  800-865-1125

ANN ARBOR, Michigan -- Eric Fearon, M.D., Ph.D., was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers.

Fearon is director of the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center and Emanuel N. Maisel Professor of Oncology. He was honored for distinguished contributions to the cancer field, particularly in defining the role of accumulated mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in colon cancer pathogenesis.

This year, 416 members were awarded this honor by AAAS because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. Fearon is one of 15 U-M faculty members, including five Rogel Cancer Center members named AAAS fellows this year.

Thomas Glover, Ph.D., professor of human genetics, pathology, and pediatrics and communicable diseases, Medical School, was honored for distinguished contributions to the field of human genetics, particularly for mechanistic understanding of genome instability and its contributions to genetic disease and cancer.

Jiandie Lin, Ph.D., research professor, Life Sciences Institute and professor of cell and developmental biology, Medical School, was honored for distinguished contributions to the field of diabetes and metabolism, particularly for elucidating genetic programs and secreted factors responsible for inter-organ metabolic crosstalk.

Pedro R. Lowenstein, M.D., Ph.D., professor of neurosurgery and professor of cell and developmental biology, U-M Medical School, for distinguished contributions to the field of gene and immunotherapies to treat malignant gliomas, particularly for translating the new knowledge into clinical trials for patients.

Carole Parent, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology and cell and developmental biology, Medical School; and adjunct research professor, Life Sciences Institute, was honored for distinguished contributions to the field of chemotaxis and directed cell migration to understand cell-cell communication, and exceptional mentorship of women in science.

Liangyou Rui, Ph.D., professor of molecular and integrative physiology, and internal medicine-gastroenterology, Medical School, was honored for distinguished contributions to the field of medical science, particularly for obesity, diabetes and liver disease, and for using mouse models to study human disease.

AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science as well as Science Translational Medicine, Science Signaling, Science Advances, Science Immunology and Science Robotics. AAAS was founded in 1848 and includes nearly 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals.

New fellows will be honored in February during the 2019 AAAS Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.