Life Sciences Institute (LSI) Director Alan R. Saltiel is among a class of 64 new members elected to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).
Saltiel, the John Jacob Abel Collegiate Professor in Life Sciences and professor of internal medicine and physiology, is the 29th member from U-M and third LSI faculty member named to the IOM. David Ginsburg, the James V. Neel Distinguished University Professor of Internal Medicine and Human Genetics, and Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Professor of Medicine, and Rowena Matthews, the G. Robert Greenberg Distinguished University Professor, also are members.
“As the Institute of Medicine celebrates this milestone, it is a great pleasure to welcome these distinguished individuals as members. Election recognizes those who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health. It is considered one of the highest honors in these fields,” IOM President Harvey V. Fineberg says. “
With their election, announced Oct. 24, members make a commitment to devote a significant amount of volunteer time as members of IOM committees, which engage in a broad range of studies on health policy issues.
“Being recognized by the IOM signals Alan Saltiel’s scientific accomplishments in the areas of diabetes and signal transduction, as well as his outstanding leadership at the Life Sciences Institute,” President Mary Sue Coleman says. “Alan’s collaborative approach as a scientist has nurtured an exciting synergy throughout the life sciences at U-M, and his representing the U-M with this election is an honor.”
Saltiel researches the molecular and cellular biology of the actions of insulin and growth factors. His lab staff uncovered the importance of spatial compartmentalization in signal transduction, cloned and characterized the first molecular scaffolding proteins and identified key pathways in the regulation of glucose metabolism. Saltiel also discovered a molecule that became a template for a new anti-cancer drug.
He has received numerous awards, owns 15 issued patents, and has published more than 240 original papers. He was ranked 20th among the most highly cited authors in biology and biochemistry during the past 10 years.
“Alan Saltiel has made significant contributions to medicine that directly impact human health through his research with insulin and diabetes and in developing new cancer drugs,” says Dr. Robert Kelch, U-M executive vice president for medical affairs and U-M Health System CEO. “He is an outstanding administrator and demonstrates the scientific leadership personified by IOM membership.”
