MBL Researchers Inducted into German Academy of Sciences

MBL Senior Scientist Alexandra Z. Worden and longtime MBL course instructor Joseph Heitman of Duke University were inducted into the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina on May 9. Worden was elected to the Academy in 2022 and Heitman was elected in 2021 in recognition of their outstanding scientific achievements. 

Worden's research at the MBL focuses on the fate and transport of carbon in the oceans. Her pioneering work has led to the discovery of new photosynthetic groups in the oceans, and she has demonstrated that photosynthetic pico-eukaryotes can dominate carbon dioxide uptake in oceanic environments—a finding that is highly significant for understanding the global carbon cycle. Her recent research has led to the discovery of bacteria in the oceans that are closely related to human pathogens. 

Heitman, a world-leading scientist in fungal cell biology and pathogenesis, has taught in the MBL Molecular Mycology course since 1998. He identified the target of the immune suppressive drug rapamycin, which is now widely used in transplantation, cancer chemotherapy, and interventional cardiology. Additionally, he discovered unsexual reproduction in various human pathogenic fungi. Heitman is also a member of the MBL Council.  

The Leopoldina champions the freedom and appreciation of science. The Academy was founded in 1652, and its 1,700 members advocate for science, promote its responsible application, and offer policy recommendations on scientific issues.