Prof Nancy Ip, Dean of Science, The Morningside Professor of Life Science and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences as a Foreign Honorary Member.
The Academy is one of the oldest societies and independent policy research centers in the United States and boasts a distinguished membership of 4,600 Fellows and 600 Foreign Honorary Members comprising illustrious scholars, scientists, writers, and artists, as well as key individuals in business and government from around the world. Notable members include prominent figures in history such as the first U.S. President George Washington, U.S. scientist and politician Benjamin Franklin, British scientist Charles Darwin, and renowned physicist Albert Einstein, among many others. Members harness their collective knowledge towards fulfilling the Academy’s mission of addressing global challenges through studies, publications, and meetings.
Prof Ip is one of the 37 Foreign Honorary Members elected to the 2016 membership class. A renowned scholar and highly accomplished neuroscientist, Prof Ip is internationally acclaimed for her ground-breaking research in brain development and function, as well as her significant breakthroughs in the search of effective therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. She currently holds 41 patents, and has over 260 scientific publications in prominent journals with over 17,600 citations.
“It is an incredible honor to be elected to this esteemed organization alongside talented individuals who have had a phenomenal impact on society”, said Prof Ip. “I look forward to working with them to help promote the mission of the Academy.”
The current honor adds to Prof Ip’s numerous awards and distinctions. She was previously elected as Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences, and more recently, Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences and Founding Member of The Academy of Sciences of Hong Kong. She has also received numerous awards including the L’OREAL-UNESCO “For Women in Science” Award in 2004 for which she was the first Chinese honoree in life sciences, and the National Natural Science Award in 2003 and 2011. Furthermore, she was bestowed the title and rank of “Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite” (National Order of Merit) by the French Government in 2011.
Established in 1780, the Academy aims to bring together leaders of the arts, academic, business, and government sectors from around the world to respond to global challenges. It provides authoritative and nonpartisan policy advice to decision-makers in governments, academia, and the private sector through its research, publications and programs. The organization’s work is advanced by its elected members, who are leaders in their respective fields and disciplines, and include more than 250 Nobel laureates and over 60 Pulitzer Prize winners.
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