Wisconsin professors elected to National Academy of Sciences

Madison, Wis. - University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty members Sean Carroll and Laura Kiessling are among 72 new fellows elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Election to the academy is considered one of the most prestigious honors bestowed upon American scientists. Carroll, a professor of molecular biology and genetics, and Kiessling, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry, were recognized for distinguished achievements and ongoing contributions to original research.

Carroll, an investigator in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, has been a member of the UW-Madison faculty since 1987. He studies how genes and genetic regulation drive the evolution of diverse animal forms and has authored two popular science books on the topic.

Kiessling, who also is a MacArthur Foundation Fellow and a co-founder of Madison's Quintessence Biosciences, joined the UW-Madison faculty in 1991 and has studied how cells and molecules interact. Her research has provided insights into the processes underlying a range of human diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

Related stories • UW-Madison launches new high-speed research network

• Tom Still: Wisconsin can offer what a federal energy research lab needs

• UW-Madison approves new research institute

• Quintessence Biosciences: Saga of a UW spin-off

• Quintessence Biosciences forms cancer therapeutic advisory board