UNC Lineberger’s Ralph Baric, PhD, and Jenny P. Ting, PhD, have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, which was founded in 1780 to recognize and celebrate artistic and scientific excellence and to convene researchers from various areas, professions and perspectives. They join seven other UNC Lineberger members – and 39 UNC-Chapel Hill faculty overall – with this honor.
Baric, the William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and professor of microbiology and immunology at the UNC School of Medicine, is internationally renowned for his seminal research of norovirus, flavivirus and coronaviruses. His scientific discoveries made a significant impact on the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying antivirals to fight COVID-19 and collaborating with the National Institutes of Health to test vaccine candidates.
Ting, the William Rand Kenan Professor of Genetics in the UNC School of Medicine’s microbiology and immunology department, is widely cited for her high-impact research that has advanced the understanding of NLR genes, which are crucial regulators of inflammatory and innate immune response, and their role in a range of diseases, including inflammatory disorders, cancer and infectious diseases.
For more than 240 years, the academy has been electing and engaging exceptional individuals. This year’s election of 261 new members continues a tradition of recognizing accomplishments and leadership in academia, the arts, industry, public policy and research.
“The academy was founded on the belief that the new republic should honor truly accomplished individuals and engage them in meaningful work,” said Nancy C. Andrews, chair of the academy’s board of directors. “The academy’s dual mission continues to this day. Membership is an honor and also an opportunity to shape ideas and influence policy in areas as diverse as the arts, democracy, education, global affairs and science.”
A complete list of individuals elected in 2022 is available on the academy’s website.