Kelsey Martin, the Executive Vice President of Autism and Neuroscience at the Simons Foundation, has been elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) class of 2024. This prestigious honor recognizes her distinguished and continuing achievements in original research, alongside 120 national and 24 international members who were also elected this year.
Established in 1863 by Congress, the NAS is a private nonprofit organization that elects scientists to its membership based on peer recognition. Along with the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine, the NAS provides science, engineering, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations.
In her role at the Simons Foundation, Martin oversees the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) and the foundation’s neuroscience collaborations. Prior to joining the foundation in 2021, Martin served as dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. During her tenure as dean, she established innovative programs in precision health and computational medicine, as well as interdisciplinary research initiatives spanning basic to clinical research.
Martin’s research interests are focused on the cellular and molecular biology of long-term synaptic plasticity and memory, particularly on understanding the regulation of gene expression in neurons. Her lab has made significant discoveries about signaling molecules that affect transcription in the nucleus following synaptic stimulation, as well as the translation of mRNAs localized at synapses during synapse formation and plasticity.