The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has announced the election of Kelsey Martin, currently the Executive Vice President of Autism and Neuroscience at the Simons Foundation, to its 2024 class of new members. This prestigious honor recognizes her distinguished contributions to original research, alongside 120 national and 24 international members being honored this year.
In a statement, NAS president Carolyn Bertozzi said, “Kelsey Martin is an outstanding scientist and leader who has made significant contributions to our understanding of neuroscience and autism. We are delighted to welcome her to the NAS.”
Established in 1863 under a congressional charter, the NAS is a private nonprofit organization that elects scientists to its membership based on peer recognition. Working in conjunction with the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine, the academy is responsible for providing 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 the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) and neuroscience collaborations. Prior to joining the foundation, Martin held positions at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), serving as dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine, chair of the UCLA Department of Biological Chemistry, and professor in both departments. During her tenure as dean, Martin established innovative programs in precision health and computational medicine while spearheading interdisciplinary research initiatives that bridged basic and clinical research.
Martin’s research focuses on long-term synaptic plasticity and memory with a particular emphasis on gene expression regulation in neurons in response to experience. Her lab has made significant discoveries related to signaling molecules involved in synaptic transmission and translation mechanisms impacting synapse formation and plasticity. With this new recognition from NAS, Martin will continue her work towards advancing our understanding of autism spectrum disorders through interdisciplinary approaches that combine molecular biology with systems biology techniques.
The NAS’s recognition marks another milestone for Martin’s career as she continues to make groundbreaking contributions to neuroscience research while leading innovative programs at SFARI that aim to transform our understanding
