Keith Yamamoto, a cellular and molecular pharmacologist and
biologist and the vice chancellor for science policy and strategy
at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), was chosen
by the membership of the American Association for the Advance-
ment of Science (AAAS) to serve as the organization’s president-
elect. Yamamoto’s term begins immediately, and after serving as
president-elect, he will serve for 1 year as AAAS president, followed
by 1 year as immediate past-president.
During the annual election, held 7 to 21 April 2022, AAAS members
also elected two new members of the AAAS Board of Directors: Su-
san Rosenberg, the Ben F. Love Chair in Cancer Research at the Bay-
lor College of Medicine, and Jane Maienschein, University Professor
and director of the Center for Biology and Society at Arizona State
University. Rosenberg and Maienschein’s terms begin immediately,
and each will serve for 4 years on the board.
“I’m excited for AAAS to benefit from the expertise of Keith,
Susan, and Jane as the organization’s newest president-elect and
board members. Their perspectives will be instrumental as AAAS
continues its essential work to advance science and serve society,”
said Sudip S. Parikh, chief executive officer of AAAS and executive
publisher of the Science family of journals.
Susan Amara, chair of the AAAS Board of Directors, added: “I look
forward to collaborating with Keith, Susan, and Jane as they join the
AAAS Board of Directors. The diversity of disciplines and back-
grounds they represent echoes the diversity of AAAS’s membership
and will be invaluable as we work together in service of the associa-
tion’s mission.”
Yamamoto calls for focus on scientifi c literacy, diversity, impact
Outreach to promote scientific literacy and an appreciation for using
evidence to understand and solve the world’s problems is “not just
for scientists. It’s for everyone,” Yamamoto shared. This is one key
area that he believes AAAS must continue to promote.
He recounted his early experiences with public outreach while pur-
suing his PhD in biochemical sciences at Princeton University under
his thesis adviser, Bruce Alberts—who later became editor-in-chief
of Science. Alberts brought area high schoolers onto campus to learn
more about science and recruited assistant professors and students,
including Yamamoto, to create experiments to share how science can
be “interesting and fun and important”—a rewarding experience for
all involved.
But when Alberts sought to expand the program, he received
pushback. Alberts was told he should be working in the lab. Unde-
terred, he persisted in his efforts.
The experience, Yamamoto said, “convinced me that scientists
have responsibilities that go beyond their work in their laboratories
to do things that advance the scientific enterprise.”
In his candidacy statement distributed to AAAS membership in
advance of the annual election, he also identified two other priorities
for AAAS.
First, AAAS can promote policies and practices that ensure a
diverse, equitable, and inclusive scientific enterprise. “Science is a
global enterprise that’s going to move forward best if it’s practiced
by a diverse workforce that approaches scientific problems from dif-
ferent perspectives and points of view,” Yamamoto said.
Second, AAAS can focus on building “a continuum from funda-
mental discovery to societal impact,” so that scientists can visual- PHOTO: BARBARA RIES FOR UCSF930 27 MAY 2022 • VOL 376 ISSUE 6596 science.org SCIENCEAAAS NEWS & NOTES
Keith Yamamoto to serve as AAAS president-elect
Susan Rosenberg and Jane Maienschein elected to AAAS Board of Directors
By Andrea Korte