Bruce Alberts, PhD (Chair)

University of California, San Francisco;
President Emeritus, National Academy of Sciences

Dr. Alberts is recognized around the world as a scientist and educator. He served two terms as President of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) (1993-2005), where he focused on promoting science-based decision making throughout the world. Dr. Alberts was also Chairman of the National Research Council at the NAS. Prior to his tenure at the Academy, Dr. Alberts was Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco, where his research focused on the characterization of the protein complexes involved in DNA replication. He is committed to the improvement of science education, dedicating much of his time to programs that enhance collaboration among teachers, scientists and school systems. Dr. Alberts is one of the original authors of The Molecular Biology of the Cell, considered the leading textbook of its kind. He is editor-in-chief of one of the research community’s leading journals, Science. He continues in his third decade of educating future scientists as Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco. Beginning in 2000 and through 2009, he served as the co-chair of the InterAcademy Council, a novel organization in Amsterdam governed by the presidents of 15 national academies of sciences and established to provide scientific counsel to the world. In November of 2009, Dr. Alberts was appointed to serve as the nation’s first scientific envoy by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, an honor he shares with two other prestigious colleagues. Dr. Alberts is a Member of the National Academy of Sciences.