Jason Cyster
The National Academy of Sciences announced 84 new members April 29, 2014, including 1996 Pew scholar Jason Cyster and 2002 Pew scholar Brenda Schulman. Election into the academy, a major achievement for scientists, is based on their significant and original research contributions.
As a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at the University of California, San Francisco, Cyster researches the migration of immune cells, with the aim of understanding the molecular cues of that process. His work could shed light on autoimmune diseases, in which immune cells attack parts of the body instead of invading pathogens.
Schulman, who also is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, studies protein interactions in her laboratory at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Her work focuses on the ubiquitin system—which cells use to tag and remove proteins they don't need—and has the potential to reveal the mechanisms of cancers, infections, and other diseases.
The National Academy of Sciences, a private, nonprofit organization of scientists and engineers, was established in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln signed a congressional act calling for an official governmental adviser in matters of science and technology. Since 1985, 26 Pew scholars have been elected into the academy.
To learn more about Pew's biomedical programs, visit www.pewhealth.org/biomedical-research.