Five researchers from the University of Washington have been designated as AAAS Fellows. They are, starting from the top left and moving across, Celeste A. Berg; Sharon Lafferty Doty; Matthew R. Parsek; Donald L. Chi; and Xiaosong Li.University of Washington

As per a March 27 announcement by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, five University of Washington researchers have been honored as AAAS Fellows. They are part of a global cohort of 471 newly elected fellows who have been acknowledged for their “scientifically and socially significant accomplishments” in both science and engineering. The tradition, which dates back to 1874, designates election as an AAAS Fellow as a lifetime recognition. Each fellow is anticipated to uphold the widely accepted principles of professional ethics and scientific integrity.

This year’s AAAS fellows from UW include:

Celeste A. Berg, a professor of genome sciences in the UW Medicine department, has been recognized for her exceptional contributions to understanding the evolution of tissue development through signaling pathways and for mentoring young scientists. Her research is centered around developmental biology, specifically the patterns and structures that emerge as an organism develops into a living entity made up of various cell types and organs. Her laboratory primarily uses fruit flies as models, beginning investigations in the egg chamber and the ovum. Her research interests encompass critical cell signals and cell migration necessary for development, as well as the evolution of these mechanisms. Moreover, emerging genomic technologies enable her research group to manipulate when and where genes are active within developing fly cells. Berg and her team have also devised a method to achieve live imaging of certain developmental processes. One of her main objectives is to deepen the understanding of genetic and molecular irregularities that result in prenatal malformations and other disorders. Berg aspires that fundamental research could, over time, lead to clinical diagnostics identifying risk factors and assessing possible treatments. Her teaching spans various topics, including introductory biology, biomedical ethics, and forensic genetics at crime scenes.

Sharon Lafferty Doty, holding the David R. M. Scott Endowed Chair in Forest Resources and a professorship in plant microbiology at the UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, has been acknowledged for her pivotal work in uncovering mechanisms by which microbes infect plants, enhance their growth and yields in nutrient-deficient environments, improve water efficiency and drought resilience, and contribute to plant wellness. Her research highlights the significance of the plant microbiome as a resource offering nature-based solutions to ecological challenges, such as pollution, climate change, and lunar colonization. A faculty member at UW since 2003, she has been honored with multiple awards, including the Lockwood Endowed Professorship (2013-2021), the Director’s Faculty Award for “outstanding contributions to student mentoring,” and the Faculty Member of the Year award (2014). She holds positions on the executive boards of the International Poplar Commission (Co-Vice Chair, Environmental and Ecosystem Services) and the International Symbiosis Society (VP, Education). Additionally, she carries an adjunct faculty designation in the Department of Microbiology.

Matthew R. Parsek, a professor of microbiology at UW Medicine, has received recognition for his substantial contributions to the study of microbial interactions, with particular focus on elucidating the processes behind the formation of biofilms, communities of surface-attached microbes. Parsek delves into the social biology of bacterial groups. His research includes quorum-sensing — the way bacteria utilize signaling molecules to detect others of the same species. This communication network enables them to coordinate collective behavior. Another related area of study for him is biofilms. These are bacterial communities that create an extracellular matrix to bind together, providing protection and contributing to factors such as antimicrobial resistance and the perseverance of chronic infections. Parsek’s lab investigates the makeup of this matrix and its assembly process. They are especially focused on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that can inhabit various environmental niches but is notorious for inducing lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients and colonizing burn wounds and implanted medical devices. Recently, his lab explored how these bacteria respond to surfaces. A UW faculty member since 2011, Parsek is also a member of the American Academy of Microbiology and was awarded the designation of Kavli fellow by the National Academy of Sciences.

Donald L. Chi, the Lloyd and Kay Chapman Endowed Chair for Oral Health in the UW School of Dentistry, was acknowledged for applying insights from behavioral and social sciences to tackle the underlying causes of oral health disparities in children. Recently, Chi has examined why some parents refuse fluoride for their children and collaborated with Yup’ik communities to enhance the oral health of Alaska Native youth. In 2018, he was awarded Pediatric Dentist of the Year by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and in 2025 he received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from President Joe Biden. A member of the UW faculty since 2010, Chi also serves as the associate dean for research in the School of Dentistry and is a professor of health systems and population health in the UW School of Public Health. He is the editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry and provides care at the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic in Seattle.

Xiaosong Li, the Larry R. Dalton Endowed Chair in Chemistry and associate dean for research in the College of Arts & Sciences, is celebrated for his achievements in developing and applying time-dependent quantum theory and relativistic electronic structure theory, as well as for promoting educational pathways and diversity within STEM fields. Li’s research occupies the intersection of physics, chemistry, materials science, mathematics, and scientific computing, where he has developed widely used computational software. A UW faculty member since 2005, Li’s accolades include a Sloan Research Fellowship, the NSF CAREER Award, the American Chemical Society Jack Simons Award in Theoretical Physical Chemistry, and the UW Distinguished Teaching Award. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), a Lab Fellow at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and an elected member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences.