AAAS names 7 UC Irvine researchers as fellows

Irvine, Calif., March 26, 2026 -The American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general scientific society, has selected seven University of California, Irvine researchers - working in disciplines as diverse as chemistry, civil and environmental engineering, neurobiology, and physics - as fellows.

"Congratulations to the seven UC Irvine researchers named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science this year," said Hal Stern, UC Irvine provost and executive vice chancellor. "Their recognition speaks to the important contributions these scholars have made to their fields."

The new fellows, with AAAS citations, are:

• Geoffrey Abbott, professor and interim chair of physiology and biophysics - for major discoveries about potassium ion channels, which are tiny gateways in our cells that help control essential body functions. His work revealed how these channels respond to signals from the brain, natural chemicals made by plants and animals, and specific proteins in the body. These insights help scientists better understand how cells communicate and how certain diseases develop.
• Amir AghaKouchak, Chancellor's Professor of civil and environmental engineering - for creating advanced tools that help us understand and predict weather-related hazards such as droughts, floods and extreme storms. His approach combines satellite data, on-the-ground measurements and computer models, giving communities better information to prepare for and respond to climate-related risks.
• Ann Marie Carlton, professor and vice chair of chemistry - for groundbreaking research showing how water in the atmosphere affects the chemistry of air pollution. Her discoveries have changed how scientists and policymakers think about air quality and have influenced regulations in the U.S. and around the world.
• Payam Heydari, Chancellor's Professor and Henry Samueli Faculty Excellence Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - for pioneering work in designing extremely high-frequency electronic circuits, the kind that make modern wireless communication possible. His innovations have helped shape today's communication technologies, including faster, more reliable devices and networks. His research extends into energy-efficient computing hardware for artificial intelligence and brain-computer interfaces to help restore lost neurological function.
• Elizabeth Jarvo, Chancellor's Professor of chemistry - for important advances in the field of synthetic chemistry. Her work focuses on developing new chemical reactions that use nickel - a more abundant and sustainable metal - to build carbon-carbon bonds and other key connections used in making medicines and materials.
• Andrew Lankford, Distinguished Professor of physics and astronomy - for leadership in major physics experiments and in developing particle-detection technologies that played key roles in the discovery of the Higgs boson - a fundamental particle - and in uncovering new behavior in subatomic particles known as bottom mesons.
• Michael Yassa, professor of neurobiology and behavior and James L. McGaugh Chair in the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory - for groundbreaking discoveries about the hippocampus that provide a basis for understanding cognitive decline in dementia and for developing a visionary model for training the next generation of neuroscientists.

A total of 500 scientists, engineers and innovators across 24 AAAS disciplinary sections are being honored this year for their efforts to further science or its applications.

A tradition dating back to 1874, election as a AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor, and all fellows are expected to meet the commonly held standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity.

With this latest cohort, UC Irvine has 160 AAAS Fellows.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.

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