Newly elected members to Washington State Academy of Sciences

Congratulations to Drs. Thomas Lynch, professor (Hematology and Oncology) and Juliana McElrath, professor (Allergy and Infectious Diseases) who are among the new class of members elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences.

Lynch is the president and director and Raisbeck Endowed Chair at Fred Hutch Cancer Center. He was elected for being part of a research effort that found mutations in the cell-surface protein epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which plays an important role in helping lung cancer cells survive. Today, drugs that target EGFR can dramatically change outcomes for lung cancer patients by slowing the progression of the cancer.

McElrath is senior vice president and director of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division at Fred Hutch Cancer Center. She is recognized for her seminal contributions to developing validated laboratory methods for interrogating cellular and humoral immune responses to HIV, TB and COVID-19 vaccines, which has led to the analysis of more than 100 vaccine and monoclonal antibody trials for nearly three decades, including evidence of T-cell immune responses as a correlate of vaccine protection.

Washington State Academy of Sciences

The Washington State Academy of Sciences is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization established by the Washington State Legislature in 2005 to advise state policymakers on public policy issues involving science and technology.

Members are elected to the Academy in recognition of their outstanding record of scientific and technical achievement, and their willingness to work on behalf of the Academy to bring the best available science to bear on issues within the state of Washington.