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Newswise — Woods Hole, Mass. (March 27, 2025) – The WHOI) is proud to announce that , a senior scientist in Biology, has been named as a 2024 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow. AAAS is one of the world’s largest general scientific societies and publisher of the Science family of journals. This 2024 class is comprised of 471 scientists, engineers and innovators across 24 AAAS disciplinary Sections 

“This year’s class of Fellows are the embodiment of scientific excellence and service to our communities,” said Sudip S. Parikh, Ph.D., AAAS chief executive officer and executive publisher of the Science family of journals. “At a time when the future of the scientific enterprise in the U.S. and around the world is uncertain, their work demonstrates the value of sustained investment in science and engineering.”

“I am incredibly honored to receive this distinction,” said Hahn. “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to conduct this research at WHOI, and for the support of colleagues and my family over many years. The AAAS Fellowship is a recognition of research that has involved many talented colleagues and collaborators, with whom I share this honor. Now more than ever, we need to recognize the importance of collaborative science in helping us to understand our world and provide knowledge that will benefit both environmental and human health.”

Each year, the Council elects members whose “efforts on behalf of the advancement of science, or its applications, are scientifically or socially distinguished.”  Hahn and his team--which includes long-time colleague Dr. Sibel Karchner, a Research Specialist in Biology--study how chemicals interfere with cellular and molecular developmental processes. Hahn is being recognized “for distinguished contributions in evolutionary understanding of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and related proteins, their involvement in toxicant effects, and implications for health and disease.” The aryl hydrocarbon receptor is a protein found in nearly all animals, including humans, that determines the sensitivity to environmental contaminants such as dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls and is also involved in embryonic development and the functioning of the immune system.

AAAS Fellows are a distinguished cadre recognized for their achievements across disciplines, from research, teaching, and technology to administration in academia, industry, and government to excellence in communicating and interpreting science to the public.

This lifetime recognition was first launched in 1874. In 2024, the AAAS Fellows program celebrated it at a reception at the National Building Museum in Washington. D.C. To commemorate the occasion, Fellows from across the span of sciences shared stories of their scientific journeys and what being a Fellow means to them in a and specia

Past WHOI recipients include Peter de Menocal, Ken Buesseler, Jim Yoder, Darlene Ketten, Robert Weller, Susan Avery, John Farrington, John Waterbury, Judy McDowell, John Stegeman, Hal Caswell, and Peter Wiebe, among others.

The new Fellows will be celebrated at a forum in Washington, D.C. on June 7, 2025. The 2024 Fellows class will also be featured in the AAAS News & Notes section of the journal Science in March 2025.

A complete list of the 2024 Fellows can be found

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About Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930, its mission is to understand the ocean and its interactions with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate an understanding of the ocean’s role in the changing global environment. WHOI’s pioneering discoveries stem from an ideal combination of science and engineering—one that has made it one of the most trusted and technically advanced leaders in fundamental and applied ocean research and exploration anywhere. WHOI is known for its multidisciplinary approach, superior ship operations, and unparalleled deep-sea robotics capabilities. We play a leading role in ocean observation and operate the most extensive suite of ocean data-gathering platforms in the world. Top scientists, engineers, and students collaborate on more than 800 concurrent projects worldwide—both above and below the waves—pushing the boundaries of knowledge to inform people and policies for a healthier planet. Learn more at whoi.edu. 

About the American Association for the Advancement of Science

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science, as well as Science Translational Medicine; Science Signaling; a digital, open-access journal, Science Advances; Science Immunology; and Science Robotics. 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, visitwww.aaas.org.