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About CLS
The Coalition for the Life Sciences is an alliance of six non-profit professional organizations working together to foster public policies that advance basic biological research and its applications in medicine and other fields. The issues addressed by the CLS include science education, professional training, and the funding, management, and oversight of scientific work, especially by the federal government.
MembershipParticipating societies are the American Society for Cell Biology, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Genetics Society of America, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Society for Neuroscience, and the Society for Science & the Public. The Board of Directors includes many of the country's most distinguished biomedical research scientists:
| Harold Varmus (Chair) Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center |
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| Mary Beckerle Huntsman Cancer Institute/ University of Utah |
Dudley R. Herschbach Harvard University |
| Paul Berg Stanford University School of Medicine |
H. Robert Horvitz Massachusetts Institute of Technology/ Howard Hughes Medical Institute |
| J. Michael Bishop University of California, San Francisco |
Steven E. Hyman Harvard University |
| Elizabeth H. Blackburn University of California, San Francisco |
Richard Hynes Massachusetts Institute of Technology/ Howard Hughes Medical Institute |
| Marvin Cassman | Eric S. Lander Broad Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Jack Dixon Howard Hughes Medical Institute |
Thomas Pollard Yale University |
| Gerald Fink Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research/ Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Charles L. Sawyers Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center |
| Gerald D. Fischbach Columbia University The Simons Foundation |
Susan Taylor University of California, San Diego/ Howard Hughes Medical Institute |
| Carol A. Gross University of California, San Francisco |
Keith Yamamoto University of California, San Francisco |
| James E. Haber Brandeis University |
Huda Zoghbi Baylor College of Medicine/ Howard Hughes Medical Institute |
Contact Information
National Office:
CLS Staff
Lynn Marquis, Director
Coalition for the
Life Sciences
8120 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 750
Bethesda, MD 20814-2762
T – (301) 374-9309
F – (301) 347-9310
lmarquis@jscpp.org
Join the Congressional Liaison Committee!
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Kevin Wilson, Director of Public Policy |
The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) was founded in 1961 to bring together the varied facets of cell biology. Now representing more than 11,000 members, the Society's objective is to provide for the exchange of scientific knowledge in the area of cell biology. It does so through the scholarly dissemination of research at its Annual Meeting and in its publications, Molecular Biology of the Cell and Cell Biology Education, and strives to ensure the future of basic scientific research by providing training and development opportunities for students and young investigators, and also by keeping Congress and the American public informed about the importance of biomedical research. Staff contact: Kevin Wilson, Director of Public Policy. |
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John Hawley, Executive Director |
Founded in 1908, the American Society for Clinical Investigation is one of the oldest and most esteemed honor societies of physician-scientists. Membership is by election only, and only researchers who are 45 years of age or younger are eligible for nomination to the Society. Therefore, membership in the ASCI is a recognition of a researcher's significant contributions, at a relatively young age, to the understanding of human disease. The Society counts among its more than 2,800 members many leaders in academic and industrial medicine, and many members also belong to the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine. The ASCI is also proud to have among its membership several winners of the Nobel Prize and the Lasker Award. The ASCI convenes an annual meeting with the Association of American Physicians and is the publisher of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, a top-rated biomedicine journal. Staff contact: John Hawley, Executive Director. |
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Elaine Strass, Executive Director |
Founded in 1931, The Genetics Society of America (GSA) represents 4,000 scientists and academicians interested in the field of genetics studies. The Society publishes the journal Genetics, sponsors conferences and meetings, educates students of all ages about genetics and careers in the field, and recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of genetics. Staff contact: Elaine Strass, Executive Director. |
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Avice Meehan, Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs |
Founded in 1953, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is a non-profit organization focused on the advancement of biomedical research and science education. HHMI’s flagship program in biomedical research rests on the conviction that scientists of exceptional talent, commitment, and imagination will make fundamental biological discoveries if they receive the resources, time, and freedom to pursue challenging questions. The Institute has approximately 300 investigators based at more than 60 institutions nationwide. Through the freestanding Janelia Farm Research Campus, HHMI scientists are probing fundamental questions best addressed through a collaborative, interdisciplinary culture. HHMI scientists include 12 Nobel Prize Winners and 122 members of the National Academy of Sciences. HHMI also supports highly creative international scientists in key geographical regions and research areas, provides essential funding for physician-scientists early in their careers, and invests in resources that benefit the broader scientific community. HHMI’s science education program fuses teaching and research, reflecting the Institute's commitment to inspiring and educating a new generation of scientists. HHMI funds initiatives with the power to transform undergraduate and graduate education by engaging students in discovery research. The Institute seeks opportunities to create connections across a continuum of learning that extends from the primary grades through high school and beyond and includes activities to increase diversity in the scientific workforce and promote scientific literacy in society. |
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Marty Saggese, Executive Director |
The Society for Neuroscience, formed in 1970, is a nonprofit membership organization of more than 33,000 basic scientists and physicians who study the brain and nervous system. The Society's primary goal is to promote the exchange of information among researchers, which it accomplishes through its scholarly publications, such as The Journal of Neuroscience, and by holding an annual meeting each fall. The Society is the world's largest organization of scientists devoted to the study of the brain and is active in the areas of public education and public policy surrounding the field of neuroscience. Staff contact: Marty Saggese, Executive Director. |
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Elizabeth Marincola, President Society for Science & the Public 1719 N Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20036 T – (202) 785-2255 F – (202) 331-1127 emarincola@SocietyforScience.org |
The Society for Science & the Public (SSP) is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to the public engagement in scientific research and education. Its vision is to promote the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement: to inform, educate, inspire. The organization publishes the weekly magazine Science News and owns and manages the world's premier science competitions, including the Intel Science Talent Search (formerly sponsored by the Westinghouse Foundation) and the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair, as well as the Discovery Challenge Young Scientist Challenge. Staff contact: Elizabeth Marincola, President, Society for Science & the Public. |