The National Academy of Medicine has elected two University of California, Berkeley faculty members, Daniel Fletcher and Michael C. Lu, to its membership. The academy made the announcement on Monday.
Election to the National Academy of Medicine is regarded as one of the highest distinctions in health and medicine. It recognizes individuals for their professional achievements and service.
Daniel Fletcher, a professor of bioengineering at UC Berkeley, was honored for his development of mobile phone-based microscopy used to diagnose infectious diseases in developing countries. Fletcher’s research has also contributed to understanding biological self-assembly and mechanotransduction. His laboratory developed CellScope technology, which converts a mobile device camera into a light microscope. By integrating automation and wireless communication with mobile microscopy, Fletcher enabled new methods for diagnosing infectious diseases, detecting ear infections, and screening for diabetic retinopathy.
Michael C. Lu, dean of the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley, was recognized for his work on maternal and child health disparities through a life-course approach to women’s health. This framework shifted research focus from prenatal care alone to considering the full spectrum of a woman’s life experiences and their impact on birth outcomes. Lu’s perspective has influenced research agendas, clinical practices, and policy directions in obstetrics-gynecology and maternal and child health.
Lu previously served as director of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau during President Barack Obama’s administration. In that role, he oversaw programs serving more than 60 million Americans annually and initiated efforts that led to significant reductions in early elective deliveries in the South as well as declines in in-hospital maternal mortality across the United States.
The National Academy of Medicine was founded in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine. It addresses important issues related to health, science, medicine, and policy while encouraging positive action across sectors. According to its Articles of Organization, at least one-quarter of its members come from fields outside traditional health professions such as law, engineering, social sciences, or humanities.
