Stanley Perlman elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Stanley Perlman, MD, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology, and pediatrics in the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, has been elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) for his distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. He is part of the 2025 class of 120 members and 30 international members.
Membership in the academy is among the most prestigious honors in the U.S. scientific community, requiring nomination and election by a scholar’s peers who are active NAS members. The nongovernmental organization now has 2,662 active members, who can be called on by the federal government to provide their expertise on issues regarding science and technology.
Perlman, who also holds the University of Iowa Distinguished Chair, is one of the world’s leading coronavirus experts with over 40 years’ experience researching this group of viruses, which includes SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19, and other human coronaviruses that cause severe diseases with high mortality, such as SARS and MERS. His lab is focused on understanding the complexities of the respiratory and neurological diseases caused by these pathogenic human coronaviruses.
“This is truly a well-deserved honor. Dr. Perlman’s dedicated years of research on coronaviruses gave us a vital research foundation when the pandemic began in 2020, and have reaped enormous benefits for society,” says Denise Jamieson, MD, MPH, UI vice president for medical affairs and the Tyrone D. Artz Dean of the Carver College of Medicine. “He embodies Iowa’s ethos of collaboration, and his willingness to share his time and expertise have advanced science for all of us and created new generations of scientists to carry his legacy forward.”
A physician-scientist who trained as a pediatrician, Perlman’s interest in how viruses affect the neonatal brain led him to specialize in coronaviruses—rarely researched decades ago. When the COVID-19 pandemic spread worldwide in 2020, he was among a very small handful of top scientists with expertise in coronaviruses. His knowledge and continued research, which he shared freely, became indispensable as the global scientific community rushed to understand the new virus and to develop treatments and vaccines to protect people. Perlman was also part of the international group that officially named SARS-CoV-2.
In 2007, Perlman and his pediatric colleague, Paul McCray, Jr., created a mouse model to study SARS disease. This mouse model became a vital tool for COVID-19 studies in early 2020, when Perlman and McCray shared their samples with the Jackson Laboratory, allowing the world’s largest supplier of research mice to revive the model and make it available to scientists around the globe to develop and test effective therapies against COVID-19. Perlman’s team went on to create additional mouse models that were also valuable for understanding the virus and the immune system’s response.
Perlman’s expertise was also in high demand at federal and international agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization, where he participated on the scientific committees involved in evaluating and approving the COVID-19 vaccines.
“Stanley's long-term and impactful contributions to the field of microbiology and immunology have been invaluable, and his election to the NAS is a testament to his dedication and excellence in research,” says Li Wu, PhD, UI professor and chair of microbiology and immunology. “He remains a true role model in our college for research, education, and academic service.”
Perlman received a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Rochester, a doctoral degree in biophysics from MIT, and a medical degree from University of Miami School of Medicine. He joined the UI faculty in 1983.
Perlman is also an elected fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and American Association of Physicians. He has published over 360 scientific papers, served on the graduate thesis committees of more than 70 trainees, and mentored over 20 PhD students and more than 14 postdoctoral fellows.
In addition to Perlman, the UI has two other active members of the NAS: Kevin Campbell, PhD, and Michael Welsh, MD.