Salk Professor John Reynolds named 2022 AAAS Fellow

January 31, 2023

Salk Professor John Reynolds named 2022 AAAS Fellow

January 31, 2023

LA JOLLA (January 31, 2023)— Salk Institute Professor John Reynolds has been named a 2022 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science. Reynolds is among 506 new AAAS Fellows spanning 24 scientific disciplines who were nominated by their peers for their distinguished efforts to advance science.

“We are thrilled that John has been selected as a 2022 AAAS Fellow,” says Salk President Rusty Gage. “He is a world leader in studying how the brain perceives the external world, allowing us to interact with our environments. This nomination is a prestigious recognition of his scientific advancements in neuroscience.”

Reynolds, holder of the Fiona and Sanjay Jha Chair in Neuroscience, uses computational modeling, visual psychophysics, measurement of electrical properties in cells, high-resolution imaging, and cutting-edge optogenetic techniques (controlling neural activity with light) to study the brain mechanisms involved in perception and conscious awareness. His work has led to the development of a unifying framework for understanding attentional selection in the brain. Most recently, his group discovered that patterns of neural signals, called traveling brain waves, exist in the visual system of the awake brain and are organized to allow the brain to perceive objects that are faint or otherwise difficult to see.

Reynolds also leads a team of researchers studying the neural mechanisms underlying age-related cognitive decline.  This work, supported in part by a $1.2 million award from the Larry L. Hillblom Foundation, examines the links between age-related changes to mitochondria (the cell’s power houses), neuron metabolism, and cognitive decline. Reynolds and colleagues have also begun unraveling brain anatomy changes that lead to cognitive decline and may predispose the brain to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

About the Salk Institute for Biological Studies:
Every cure has a starting point. The Salk Institute embodies Jonas Salk’s mission to dare to make dreams into reality. Its internationally renowned and award-winning scientists explore the very foundations of life, seeking new understandings in neuroscience, genetics, immunology, plant biology, and more. The Institute is an independent nonprofit organization and architectural landmark: small by choice, intimate by nature, and fearless in the face of any challenge. Be it cancer or Alzheimer’s disease, aging, or diabetes, Salk is where cures begin. Learn more at: salk.edu.

About the American Association for the Advancement of Science:
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) was founded in 1848 and includes more than 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. The nonprofit AAAS is open to all and fulfills its mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in science policy, international programs, science education, public engagement, and more. For additional information about AAAS, see www.aaas.org.