LSU Researchers Earn Prestigious AAAS Fellow Honor for Excellence Across Disciplines

Peter Doran

Doran is Professor of Geology and Geophysics and the John Franks Endowed Chair within the LSU College of Science.

At the heart of his research is a longstanding curiosity about how Earth's polar regions work and what they can tell us about our planet's past, its changing climate, and even the potential for life on other worlds. 

Doran specializes in studying polar regions, especially Antarctic climate and ecosystems.

He has worked in some of the most remarkable and remote places on Earth, studying the physical, chemical, and biological processes that shape polar lakes, ice covers, and ecosystems across the Arctic and Antarctic.

His primary field site is Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys, a vast, frozen landscape so cold and dry that only microbial life survives there. Lakes lie permanently sealed under thick ice covers, cut off from the atmosphere and, in some cases, from sunlight entirely.

Doran studies how these lakes work: how water moves through them, how carbon cycles within them, how they respond to climate, and what their ancient sediments reveal about environmental conditions stretching back thousands of years. 

“I am deeply honored to be named a Fellow of the AAAS. As an organization committed to the broad promotion of science across all disciplines, it feels particularly meaningful to be recognized by a body that sees the full picture. Much of my career has been built on research that crosses boundaries between fields and does not always fit neatly within any single discipline's awards, so this recognition means a great deal. The AAAS commitment to science communication also resonates with me personally.”

— Peter Doran

Elderd is the Dr. Ronald and Denise Alvarez Professor of Biological Sciences in the LSU College of Science.

A quantitative ecologist, his research focuses primarily on disease outbreaks and host-pathogen interactions, with other research avenues including community ecology and population dynamics.

By combining field-based experiments with mathematical models, Elderd has examined questions involving insect pest outbreaks, public health responses to disease outbreaks, and the long-term viability of plant and animal populations. 

For example, Elderd’s research has examined how various factors, from the protective chemicals produced by plants to changes in temperature, can quicken or dampen the spread of disease in insects such as butterflies and moths.

He even found, in one study, that insects may engage in cannibalism to slow the spread of disease when their densities are high or times are tough. By studying these and other factors,

Elderd's work has informed disease outbreak forecasting and interventions.

“I am truly honored (and thrilled) to be joining such an illustrious group of individuals whose contributions to science are monumental and innumerable.”

— Bret Elderd

Lucio Miele

Dr. Miele is the Director of the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center and Cancer Crusaders Professor of Genetics, Medicine/Oncology, and Public Health at LSU Health New Orleans. 

A large part of Miele’s research is devoted to biomarker discovery and precision oncology, using integrative bioinformatics and human biospecimens to improve cancer care.

He has made major contributions to our understanding of the role of Notch signaling – which involves a cell-to-cell communication pathway that regulates the fate of cells – in cancer biology and immunology.

Miele completed his medical training in Naples, Italy, and earned his PhD at the Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin.

He went on to use innovative informatics approaches, as a fellow at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), to predict the active site of secretoglobins, proteins that play a key role in immune control.

Then, at the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the FDA, he began his work on Notch genes in cancer and the immune system.

He also later served as co-chair of the NCI Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program task force on clinical trials targeting cancer stem cells. 

“I am deeply honored to be named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This recognition reflects not only my own work, but the extraordinary colleagues, collaborators, and trainees who have contributed to advancing cancer experimental therapeutics and precision medicine. Our growing understanding of pathways such as Notch signaling and their role in breast cancer initiation and cancer immunity is the result of sustained, collective effort. I am grateful to be part of a scientific community committed to translating discovery into meaningful impact for patients.”

— Lucio Miele