Chief Scientific Officer Mary Dickinson inducted into the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Dickinson among 502 Fellows honored for scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its application at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Mary Dickinson, Ph.D., executive vice president and chief scientific officer at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), has joined the ranks of Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), a distinguished lifetime honor within the scientific community.

Dickinson is among the 502 scientists, engineers and innovators who are recognized as AAAS Fellows by the world's largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals. This esteemed honor is reserved for individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to their fields, and include renowned names such as inventor Thomas Edison, anthropologist Margaret Mead, sociologist W.E.B. DuBois and computer scientist Grace Hopper.

This year's class of Fellows, representing top institutions across academia, medical research centers, laboratories and the nonprofit sector, was celebrated during a ceremony held on Sept. 21 at the 2024 AAAS annual meeting in Washington, D.C. A tradition dating back to 1874, the 2024 class is especially notable as it coincides with the 150th anniversary of the AAAS Fellows Program.

"On behalf of everyone at JAX, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Mary for this outstanding achievement," said JAX president and CEO Lon Cardon, Ph.D., FMedSci. "Since joining JAX earlier this year, Mary has already made a lasting impact, particularly in advancing our scientific strategy. The future is bright for JAX's research enterprise and I am energized to continue building on the positive trajectory Mary has set in motion."

Dickinson, an internationally recognized geneticist, developmental biologist and bioengineer who pioneered the understanding of human disease through advanced imaging technology, joined JAX as the inaugural executive vice president and chief scientific officer in May 2024. Previously, she was the senior vice president and dean of research at Baylor College of Medicine, one of the country's largest and most complex medical schools. With extensive, highly recognized research using mice to study cardiovascular disease, particularly congenital birth defects, Dickinson has a profound appreciation of the JAX mission.

"I am deeply grateful to be inducted into the AAAS," said Dickinson. "Being recognized alongside so many distinguished individuals is an honor. I owe immense gratitude to my colleagues and trainees at Baylor College of Medicine for their work, mentorship and support. Having just joined JAX, I am thrilled to be part of such an innovative and inspiring organization aimed at transforming the way we do science and accelerating practices that transform human health."