MSU Professor Tom O’Halloran discusses lab results with Aaron Sue, research specialist and core facility manager. Photo credit: Paul Henderson.
Michigan State University Professor Thomas O’Halloran is among the 252 newest members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, joining the ranks of storied members from George Washington and Benjamin Franklin to Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein.
O’Halloran is an MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor in the departments of Chemistry and Microbiology, Genetics and Immunology. His research in inorganic chemistry has led to the development of drugs targeting fungal infections and Wilson’s disease. He’s also made new discoveries in the role of metals in fertilization, and new cancer therapies based on his work are in clinical trials.
The academy, first chartered in 1780, recognizes leaders each year in academia, the arts, industry, journalism, philanthropy, policy, research and science. O’Halloran was announced this year alongside members such as actress Jodie Foster and author Colson Whitehead.
“It’s so humbling to look at the list of people, including some of my heroes in the field,” O’Halloran said. “It’s an honor to be selected and thought of as having contributed in a way that I can be counted among this group.”