Edward Eisenstein Named 2025 AAAS Fellow

Fischell Department of Bioengineering Associate Professor Edward Eisenstein has been named a 2025 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the highest honors in the scientific community. Eisenstein is among nearly 500 scientists, engineers and innovators selected this year across 24 disciplines for scientifically and socially distinguished achievements, including research, leadership and service to the broader scientific community.

“Being named an AAAS Fellow is an incredible honor for me,” Eisenstein said. “I’m deeply grateful for the AAAS Council for electing me as a Fellow, and I am privileged to join their ranks to continue to advance science, and application, both in the field, and throughout society.”

Eisenstein’s work focuses on engineering plants to improve their use as sustainable sources for energy and bioproducts like biofuels and biochemicals. His research centers on poplar trees, where he studies traits that help plants better resist disease and pests, withstand environmental stress such as UV radiation and make more efficient use of limited nutrients. By identifying how these traits are controlled, his team aims to strengthen plant performance and improve their long-term sustainability as feedstocks. The work is part of a broader effort to better understand how plants function and adapt, with potential long-term benefits for energy and the environment.

“Being named an AAAS Fellow is an incredible honor for me. I’m deeply grateful for the AAAS Council for electing me as a Fellow, and I am privileged to join their ranks to continue to advance science, and application, both in the field, and throughout society.”

-Edward Eisenstein

“Selection as an AAAS Fellow is an acknowledgement that your peers recognize the outstanding contributions you have made to science and engineering in your field of study. Edward’s career has impacted plant science and engineering, and demonstrated a commitment to service and research excellence, and we are glad to see him recognized by AAAS,” Clark School Dean Samuel Graham said. “His example will inspire the next generation of engineers and his research will continue to make meaningful contributions to society.”

He was recently elected president of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) , after being named a 2025 ASBMB Fellow , one of the society’s highest honors recognizing outstanding contributions to the field and service to the scientific community. He additionally serves as associate director of the Agricultural Biotechnology Center and a fellow at the Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research (IBBR).’

“My goal as an AAAS Fellow is to get more involved in advocacy for science, especially among legislators and policymakers, as well as the public,” he said.

Founded in 1848, AAAS is one of the world’s largest general scientific societies. Election as a Fellow is a lifetime honor recognizing contributions that advance science and its role in society.

Published March 26, 2026