M. Ian Phillips, KGI's Norris Professor of Applied Life Sciences, has been named a Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), an elite group of scientists that includes Nobel Prize winners and members of the National Academy of Sciences.

Phillips was selected for his "distinguished contributions to physiology, neuroscience, hypertension, particularly anti-angiotensin drugs, gene and stem cell therapy for cardiovascular disease, and for outstanding teaching and research administration," according to AAAS. He is one of 36 new Fellows elected to the medical section of AAAS.

Phillips described the honor as the "capstone to my career."

He joins Sheldon M. Schuster, PhD, KGI's president, who was named a AAAS Fellow in 2007.

"I think the fact that we are a very small institution, yet we have two AAAS Fellows, indicates the quality of faculty at KGI," Phillips said.

Since coming to KGI in 2006, Phillips has helped establish the Center for Rare Disease Therapies, for which he serves as director. In addition, he has continued research on stem cell therapy for hearts failing from myocardial injury. He and a colleague discovered how to develop stem cells that occur naturally in the heart. Now, he is working on a way to make the stem cells turn into functional cardiac cells to replace injured cells in the heart.

"Our goal is to find out ways to increase the number of stem cells in the heart by understanding their normal processes and then increasing their numbers," Phillips said.

Throughout his career, Phillips has earned numerous awards for his research and his teaching. He has published more than 300 papers and 11 books. Phillips earned his doctorate in pharmacology from the University of Birmingham, UK, and his bachelor's degree in math, biology and psychology from the University of Exeter, UK.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science is the world's largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal, Science. AAAS was founded in 1848 and includes some 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals.

Phillips and the other newly elected Fellows will be honored at the 2010 AAAS Annual Meeting in San Diego on Feb. 20, 2010.

KGI Background

Educating the future leaders of the bioscience industry, Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) offers an interdisciplinary graduate education through its Master of Bioscience (MBS) degree program and its PhD program in Applied Life Sciences. Using team-based learning and real-world projects, KGI's innovative curriculum seamlessly combines applied life sciences, bioengineering, bioethics and business management. KGI also has a robust research program concentrating on the translation of basic discoveries in the life sciences into applications that can benefit society. KGI is a member of The Claremont Colleges, located in Claremont, California.

Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences is dedicated to education and research aimed at translating into practice, for the benefit of society, the power and potential of the life sciences.