Piali Sengupta named AAAS Fellow

The professor of biology received the prestigious honor for her work in the field of sensory neuroscience.

Piali SenguptaHeratch Ekmekjian

Piali Sengupta

Professor of biology Piali Sengupta has been selected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Sengupta, also biology department chair, was among 443 members of the Washington, D.C.-based AAAS to receive the distinction of Fellow this year. The organization is the world’s largest general scientific society.

The Association said in a letter to Sengupta that she was selected for her “distinguished contributions to the field of sensory neuroscience, particularly for defining the molecular genetics of chemical communication and thermosensation in C. elegans.” 

“I am greatly honored to be elected as an AAAS Fellow,” Sengupta said. “AAAS has a strong commitment to promoting science research, policy and education as well as to increasing diversity and inclusion in STEM fields. As a Fellow, I look forward to contributing to these missions.”

Sengupta’s research focuses on understanding how animals sense environmental cues such as chemicals and temperature and how this information is then translated into changes in development and behavior.

Identifying the genes, neurons and circuits that underlie sensory transduction provides information about how organisms, including humans, interact with their environment and how defects in the ability to process sensory signals lead to neurological and behavioral disorders.

The tradition of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. Steering groups review the nominations of individuals within its respective section and a final list is forwarded to the AAAS Council, which votes on the aggregate list.

New Fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue (representing science and engineering, respectively) rosette pin on February 15 at the 2020 AAAS Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington.

Categories: Research, Science and Technology

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