Fellowship rosettes (pictured) are presented to newly elected fellows. AAAS
Biochemist Patrick Harran of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), has been named one of the fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for 2015. Harran joins 346 other fellows from diverse disciplines and from institutions across the nation for their “contributions to innovation, education, and scientific leadership.”
But Harran’s election is being criticized due his role in a tragedy that unfolded in his lab seven years ago. On December 29, 2008, Harran’s research assistant, 23-year-old Sheharbano “Sheri” Sangji, was badly burned in a fire that engulfed her clothes and body as she handled a dangerous chemical, tert-butyllithium. Sangji, who was not wearing the proper protective lab coat as she conducted the experiment, died from her injuries 18 days later. ...
