Pope Francis appoints NASA scientist, Chinese biologist to Pontifical Academy of Sciences

Vatican City, Mar 7, 2025 / 09:50 am

Pope Francis has appointed a NASA geophysicist, a Harvard genetics professor, and a Chinese embryonic development researcher among five new members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Vatican announced Friday. 

The new appointees include Maria Zuber, an American planetary scientist involved in multiple NASA missions; Olivier Pourquié, a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School; and Meng Anming, a Chinese developmental biologist specializing in embryonic research.  

Also joining the academy are Chilean molecular geneticist Luis Fernando Larrondo Castro and Mexican environmental scientist Cecilia Tortajada. 

The Pontifical Academy of Sciences brings together leading international experts to promote scientific progress and interdisciplinary research. Members participate in study groups and Vatican-hosted meetings to examine key scientific and ethical issues. 

Meet the new members: 

Maria Zuber 

A geophysicist from Norristown, Pennsylvania, Zuber is the E.A. Griswold professor of geophysics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a trustee of Brown University. She has contributed to more than half a dozen NASA planetary missions studying the moon, Mars, Mercury, and asteroids. In 2021, she was appointed co-chair of President Joe Biden’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology. 

Meng Anming

A professor of developmental biology at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Meng specializes in embryonic development, using zebra fish as a model for studying early growth processes. He is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Olivier Pourquié

A French-born geneticist, Pourquié is a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He previously directed the Institute for Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology in France. In 2024, he co-authored a study on standardizing stem-cell-based embryo models.

Luis Fernando Larrondo Castro 

A professor of molecular genetics and microbiology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Larrondo has served as director of the Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio). His research focuses on fungal biological clocks and their role in physiology and host-pathogen interactions.

Cecilia Tortajada

An environmental scientist from Mexico, Tortajada specializes in water, environment, and natural resource management. She is a professor at the University of Glasgow’s School of Social and Environmental Sustainability and an adjunct senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore. She has advised global organizations, including the World Bank and the United Nations.