Revolutionizing Research: Kelsey Martin’s Election to the National Academy of Sciences
Kelsey Martin, the Executive Vice President of Autism and Neuroscience at the Simons Foundation, has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences (NAS) for her outstanding contributions to original research. She is among 120 national and 24 international members being honored this year. The NAS, established in 1863 under a congressional charter, is a private nonprofit organization that elects scientists to its membership based on peer recognition. It works alongside the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine to provide science, engineering, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations.
Martin assumed her role at the Simons Foundation in September 2021, where she leads various initiatives related to autism research and neuroscience collaborations. Prior to joining the foundation, Martin served as dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and held positions in several departments there. During her tenure as dean, she established innovative programs in precision health and computational medicine while leading interdisciplinary research initiatives that bridged basic and clinical research. Her research focused on long-term synaptic plasticity and memory, with a particular emphasis on gene expression regulation in neurons responding to experience.
In recognition of her distinguished contributions to science, Martin has been elected as a member of the NAS’s 2024 class. This honor recognizes not only her scientific achievements but also her leadership skills in promoting interdisciplinary collaboration between basic science researchers and clinical practitioners.
