The American Association for the Advancement of Science has named four New York University faculty as 2025 AAAS Fellows: Eray Aydil, Anirban Maitra, André Fenton, and Liina Pylkkänen.
Each year, the Council of the AAAS elects members whose “efforts on behalf of the advancement of science, or its applications, are scientifically or socially distinguished.” This year, 449 members have been awarded the honor.
Eray Aydil , senior vice dean and a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering, investigates how materials’ synthesis affects their structure and shapes their properties, with work spanning plasma chemistry, thin films, coatings, and nanoscale materials across energy, optical and electronic applications. AAAS recognized Aydil for his “fundamental contributions to the understanding and synthesis of thin films and nanostructured materials, especially for applications to solar cells.”
André Fenton , a professor of neural science at NYU, investigates the molecular, neural, behavioral, and computational aspects of memory. He studies how brains store experiences as memories, how they learn to learn, and how knowing activates relevant information without activating what is irrelevant. AAAS recognized Fenton for his “distinguished contributions to the field of neuroscience, particularly for advancing our understanding of how electrical signals in networks of neurons are coordinated to actively represent knowledge.”
Anirban Maitra , director of the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health and associate director of translational research, focuses on early detection and biomarker development to tumor microenvironment and early cancer interception strategies for pancreatic cancer. AAAS recognized Maitra for his “impactful translational research in improving the care of patients with pancreatic cancer, notably in identifying high-risk groups for early detection and advancing interception and therapeutic strategies.”
Liina Pylkkänen , a professor in NYU’s departments of linguistics and psychology, studies the neurobiology of language using magnetoencephalography. Her laboratory connects linguistic theory with neuroscience and has characterized the spatiotemporal dynamics of how human brains build complex expressions from simpler building blocks. AAAS recognized Pylkkänen for her “distinguished contributions to the fields of language science and neuroscience, particularly for advancing our understanding of language processing and its neurobiological foundations.”
Editor’s Note:
Founded in 1831, NYU is one of the world’s foremost research universities and is a member of the selective Association of American Universities. NYU has degree-granting university campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai and has 13 other global academic sites, including London, Paris, Florence, Tel Aviv, Buenos Aires, and Accra, and US sites in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, CA, and Tulsa, OK. Through its numerous schools and colleges, NYU is a leader in conducting research and providing education in the arts and sciences, law, medicine, business, dentistry, engineering, education, nursing, the cinematic and performing arts, music and studio arts, public service, social work, public health, and professional studies, among other areas.
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