Distinguished Professor Michael Savageau, who holds dual appointments in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics in the College of Biological Sciences and the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering, has been elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.

Pioneering systems biology

Savageau’s research explores the function, design and evolution of cellular and molecular networks. Using quantitative systems biology, Savageau seeks to characterize the design principles for gene circuits that control important patterns of cellular behavior.

A pioneer in his field, Dr. Savageau has made major impacts in microbiology through the development of mathematical models and computational analysis of complex biochemical systems. His work has provided novel methods for the comparison of different systems, improving an understanding of biological design. 

 “This is a wonderful recognition of Professor Savageau’s stellar career and scientific achievements,” said Wolf-Dietrich Heyer, chair of the Department Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. “His internationally recognized research is having more impact now than ever.”

On June 2, Savageau was formally inducted at the Academy Fellows Reception at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in New Orleans, La.

“I have spent much of my career focused on understanding basic molecular mechanisms best characterized in microbial systems,” Savageau said. “It is a great honor to have this work recognized by colleagues in the microbiology community.” 

A career of recognition

The American Academy of Microbiology is the honorific leadership group within the American Society for Microbiology, the world’s oldest and largest life science organization. Its mission is to recognize scientists for outstanding contributions to microbiology and provide microbiological expertise in the service of science and the public.

Savageau is a Guggenheim Fellow and Fulbright Senior Research Fellow at the Max-Planck-Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie, in Göttingen, Germany; an Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Fellow; an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow; and a member of the National Academy of Medicine.

He served as editor-in-chief of the journal Mathematical Biosciences for a decade and the University of Michigan Medical School endowed the Michael A. Savageau Collegiate Professorship in Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics in his honor. Savageau joined the faculty of UC Davis in 2003.