In recognition of achievements that advance our understanding of air pollution and cardiovascular disease, two UC Riverside professors have been elected to the 2024 class of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) fellows.

Jingsong Zhang, chemistry professor and research chemist at UCR’s Air Pollution Research Center, and Changcheng Zhou, professor of biomedical sciences in the School of Medicine join 44 University of California scholars who were included in this year’s class of fellows. 

Zhang studies how chemical reactions, such as those in fuel combustion and in atmosphere, take place via elementary reaction steps (the most fundamental, single reaction steps at the molecular level), with a particular focus on the short-lived, transient reactive intermediates (free radicals) involved in these steps.  He also develops sensitive instruments to detect free radicals and measure air pollutants in the atmosphere.

Zhou is studying atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide. His team found that certain common chemicals—called endocrine disrupting chemicals—can make this problem worse. Thanks to his background in several medical sciences, Zhou is especially well-equipped to study how these chemicals and our genes work together to influence heart health.

“I am very honored to be part of this distinguished cadre,” Zhou said. “I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of my mentors, colleagues, and mentees for their support and contributions. This acknowledgement fuels my motivation to work harder and to contribute more to the scientific field.”

Fellows are elected by their peers for the lifetime distinction, which recognizes outstanding research, leadership, teaching, mentoring, fostering collaborations, and advancing public understanding of science. 

The tradition of electing fellows began in 1874, and this year’s class joins esteemed scientist Thomas Edison (1878), anthropologist Margaret Mead (1934), and popular science author Jared Diamond (2000) in this honor.

This year, the AAAS Council selected 471 fellows from academia, government, industry and nonprofits across the country and around the world. UC is the leading institution represented, with fellows from every UC campus and three affiliated national laboratories.