Image

Alice Y. Cheung, distinguished professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at UMass Amherst, was recently elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Cheung is one of 150 new members to receive recognition for their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

Cheung, a plant biologist who is fascinated by how plants, and especially those that feed us, reproduce, is internationally renowned for her groundbreaking research, which utilizes cell biological, biochemical, molecular and biophysical approaches. She has authored over 100 publications, many of high impact, and her trailblazing work – supported by organizations including the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, among others – has received over 10,000 citations.

In addition to the National Academy of Sciences election, Cheung has also been recognized by the American Society of Plant Biologists, the largest plant biology disciplinary society in the world. In 2020, she was awarded one of the society’s highest honors, the Lawrence Bogorad Award for Excellence in Plant Biology. She is also an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a founding member of the ASPB Legacy Society, which works to nurture future generations of plant biologists.