Three Harvard Medical School faculty members have been elected to the 2021 class of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. They are among 252 national leaders recognized for helping “solve the world’s most urgent challenges” and contributing “to the common good.”
“We are honoring the excellence of these individuals, celebrating what they have achieved so far, and imagining what they will continue to accomplish,” said David Oxtoby, president of the Academy.
The HMS honorees are:
- Rosalind Segal, HMS professor of neurobiology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and dean for graduate education at HMS
- Peter Slavin, president of Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of health care policy in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS
- Hao Wu, the Asa and Patricia Springer Professor of Structural Biology and professor of biological chemistry and molecular pharmacology in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS and Boston Children’s Hospital
Segal and Wu were elected in the biological sciences, and Slavin was elected in leadership, policy, and communications.
The Academy was founded in 1780 by John Adams, John Hancock, and others who believed the new republic should honor exceptionally accomplished individuals and engage them in advancing the public good. Members from increasingly diverse fields continue to work together today to share ideas and recommendations in the arts, democracy, education, global affairs, and science.
While the founders did not anticipate a year with a historic pandemic, overdue racial reckoning, and political strife, the purpose of electing new members is more compelling than ever, the Academy said in its announcement of the 2021 electees.
Adapted from American Academy of Arts and Sciences communications materials.
