Washington, D.C.-The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) announced today that its Chief Executive Officer, Stefano Bertuzzi, Ph.D., M.P.H., has been elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The honor recognizes Bertuzzi's distinguished contributions to science, public policy and scientific leadership, and reflects the growing impact of ASM's strategic roadmap to advance the microbial sciences and address global challenges.
Election as an AAAS Fellow is among the highest honors in the global scientific community, recognizing individuals whose efforts to advance science and its applications are scientifically or socially distinguished. The newly elected 2025 fellows will be honored at the AAAS Fellows Forum on May 29, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
"With a distinguished research career and an impressive record of public service and science communication, Dr. Bertuzzi exemplifies the leadership, scientific excellence and commitment to society that the AAAS Fellow designation is meant to honor," said Alexander McAdam, M.D., Ph.D., D(ABMM), President of ASM.
Bertuzzi began his career as a molecular biologist, earning a Ph.D. in molecular biotechnology from the Catholic University in Italy. Portions of his graduate research were conducted at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he focused on developmental biology and molecular mechanisms of neuronal patterning. He later served as Director of the Neurogenetic Laboratory at the Dulbecco Institute Telethon in Milan, conducting research on how the homeodomain proteins Vax1 and Vax2 contribute to ventral patterning in the developing mouse eye and exploring transcription factor regulation in cellular differentiation and neuronal development. He later earned a master's degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
In 2006, Bertuzzi transitioned from laboratory research to public service, joining the NIH as a senior scientific executive. There, he advised NIH Director Elias Zerhouni on major science policy initiatives, including NIH peer review reform and the development of the NIH Public Access Policy, which helped catalyze the modern Open Access movement in scholarly publishing. Bertuzzi also led negotiations between the U.S. government and the European Union that created reciprocal funding opportunities between NIH and EU research programs. His contributions to science and policy have been recognized with numerous national and international honors, including being conferred the title of Knight of the Order of the Star by the President of the Republic of Italy.
Since 2016, Bertuzzi has served as Chief Executive Officer of ASM, one of the largest life sciences societies in the world, with more than 38,000 members across 122 countries. During his tenure, he has guided ASM's scientific, educational and global health initiatives while strengthening the Society's role as a global convener for the microbial sciences. He also led the development and implementation of ASM's Strategic Roadmap, which empowers scientists and stakeholders worldwide to shape the future of the microbial sciences and harness the transformative power of microbes to address some of humanity's most pressing challenges. Under Bertuzzi's leadership, ASM has strengthened its role as a global voice for the microbial sciences and advanced a strategic vision that connects scientific discovery with real-world impact.
During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, Bertuzzi and the ASM team worked directly with the White House COVID-19 Task Force, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help expand diagnostic testing capacity and support clinical laboratories across the U.S.-demonstrating the critical role of microbiology and the ASM community in responding to global health threats.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is the world's largest multidisciplinary scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals. Its fellows program recognizes members whose work advances science and its applications worldwide.
