3 UC San Diego Professors Join Elite Science Academy

The National Academy of Sciences just welcomed three UC San Diego professors into its ranks, recognizing groundbreaking work that touches everything from preventing cancer to predicting climate patterns.

Arshad Desai, George Fuller, and Shang-Ping Xie join an elite group of 120 new members honored for their distinguished achievements in original research. They're part of a prestigious academy that's been advising the federal government on critical science and health policy since 1863.

Desai chairs the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, where he's unraveling one of biology's most precise processes: how chromosomes split perfectly during cell division. When this process fails, it can lead to cancer, infertility, and developmental disorders. His team has discovered key proteins that ensure cells divide correctly and identified potential targets for cancer treatments.

Fuller, a Distinguished Professor of Physics, explores the universe's biggest mysteries. His work spans neutrino physics, dark matter, and how black holes form. In 2013, the American Physical Society awarded him the prestigious Hans A. Bethe Prize for his contributions to understanding the cosmos.

Xie holds the Roger Revelle Chair in Environmental Science at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. He studies how oceans and atmosphere interact to create climate patterns across the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. His research helps answer crucial questions about climate predictability and how our planet will respond to rising greenhouse gases. He served as a lead author for the 2013 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report.

The three scientists join over 100 current and former UC San Diego faculty already in the academy. Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla called the recognition a "well-deserved acknowledgement" of how their discoveries translate into real benefits for communities and human health.

The Ripple Effect: These aren't just academic achievements tucked away in ivory towers. Desai's chromosome research could lead to better cancer treatments. Fuller's astrophysics work helps us understand the fundamental building blocks of our universe. Xie's climate studies inform policies protecting millions from extreme weather and rising seas. Together, their work represents science at its best: curiosity-driven research that solves real problems.

More than 100 UC San Diego faculty members have now earned this distinction, cementing the university's reputation as a powerhouse for transformative scientific discovery.