PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Brown University professors George Karniadakis and Dr. Sharon Rounds have been elected by their peers as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest scientific society announced on Monday, Nov. 27.

They will be formally recognized in February at the 2019 AAAS Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Karniadakis, a professor of applied mathematics, was recognized “for many outstanding contributions to applied mathematics in multiple areas, including computational fluid dynamics, multiscale modeling, spectral methods, and stochastic and fractional partial differential equations,” according to the AAAS.

Much of Karniadakis’ research has been in developing mathematical simulations of a variety of physics and biological systems. Among other accomplishments, Karniadakis’ computational models have led to a better understanding of changes in blood flow associated with disorders like sickle cell anemia and malaria, as well as a new understanding of the spleen’s role in determining the shape of red blood cells. Karniadakis has also pioneered a method for incorporating uncertainty in models of natural systems.

Rounds is a professor of medicine and of pathology and laboratory medicine and Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs at Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School, as well as a pulmonary and critical care physician at the Providence V.A. Medical Center. AAAS cited her “distinguished contributions to the field of pulmonary/critical care/sleep medicine, particularly for the role of the pulmonary endothelium in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury and pulmonary hypertension.”

Rounds has been continuously supported by research grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs since 1981. She is co-principal investigator of the CardioPulmonary Vascular Biology Center for Biomedical Research Excellence and also serves as director of the Advance-CTR Pilot Projects program, both of which aim to catalyze innovative research by providing seed funding for young investigators.

Karniadakis and Rounds are part of a class of 416 distinguished researchers elected in this year’s class of fellows. Founded in 1848, AAAS has been electing fellows since 1874.