The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington D.C., has honored Denham Harman, M.D., Ph.D., ofthe University of Nebraska Medical Center, as an AAAS fellow. Election as a fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers for their efforts to advance science.
Dr. Harman is the Emeritus Millard Professor of Medicine at UNMC and is known internationally as the father of the free radical theory of Aging, which he proposed in 1954.
He was elected for distinguished contributions and leadership in the field of biological aging, particularly for originating the free radical theory of aging and for founding the American Aging Association.
The theory is one of the most well-known and respected theories on the aging process. Dr. Harman proposed that free radicals — highly reactive molecules freed in the normal chemical processes — cause aging and disease through their destructive actions in cells and tissues. The theory suggests that antioxidants such as vitamin E, C and beta carotene can decrease cell destruction.
Fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue (representing science and engineering, respectively) rosette pin on Feb. 14, during the 2009 AAAS Annual Meeting in Chicago.
The tradition of AAAS fellows began in 1874. Currently, members can be considered for the rank of fellow if nominated by the steering groups of the association’s 24 sections, or by any three fellows who are current AAAS members, or by the AAAS chief executive officer.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world’s largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal, Science (www.sciencemag.org). AAAS was founded in 1848, and includes some 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of 1 million. The non-profit AAAS (www.aaas.org) is open to all and fulfills its mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and more. For the latest research news, log onto EurekAlert!, www.eurekalert.org, the premier science-news Web site, a service of AAAS.
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources now exceeds $82 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,400 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.
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