UCSD - University of California - San Diego

04/30/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/30/2026 14:46

UC San Diego Professor Elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences

Published Date

April 30, 2026

Article Content

Alan Saltiel, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at UC San Diego School of Medicine, has been elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Founded in 1780 by John Adams, John Hancock and others, the academy is one of the nation's oldest and most selective scholarly societies, recognizing individuals who have made preeminent contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the arts, social sciences and sciences.

The 2026 cohort includes more than 250 members, who come from 14 different countries and have distinguished themselves as leaders in academia, the arts, industry, policy and science. This year's addition of Saltiel brings the number of UC San Diego faculty elected to the academy to 189.

"Alan Saltiel's election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences exemplifies UC San Diego's commitment to transformative, interdisciplinary research that improves human health." said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. "This recognition is a proud moment for the entire campus and reflects both Saltiel's personal scientific excellence and the university's commitment to tackling the most pressing health challenges of our time."

Alan Saltiel

Alan Saltiel is a Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology and the Maryam Ahmadian Endowed Chair in Metabolic Health at UC San Diego School of Medicine. He also serves as director of the UC San Diego Institute for Diabetes and Metabolic Health and the UC San Diego/UCLA Diabetes Research Center. A graduate of Duke University and the University of North Carolina, Saltiel has built a career at the forefront of research into diabetes, obesity and metabolism, with work spanning academic discovery, translational science and drug development.

Over several decades, Saltiel has helped reshape scientific understanding of how insulin works at the molecular level and how metabolism is disrupted in disease. His research has identified critical signaling pathways involved in glucose uptake and energy balance, and has revealed important links between obesity, inflammation and insulin resistance. His contributions have also extended beyond the laboratory to the development of therapies, including work on troglitazone, the first drug of its class approved for type 2 diabetes, as well as the first MEK inhibitors used to treat cancer.

Saltiel is also widely recognized as a mentor and scientific leader. He has published more than 325 papers, holds 20 issued patents and has trained more than 100 students and fellows. At UC San Diego, he has helped build a collaborative research community focused on advancing metabolic health and training the next generation of scientists. In addition to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Saltiel is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, as well as a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation and the National Academy of Medicine.

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