Five North Carolina State University faculty members have been elected as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Nancy L. Allbritton, professor and chair of biomedical engineering, elected for invention and implementation of new tools for biomedical research and for development of miniaturized devices to enable more accurate disease diagnosis.

They are among 401 scientists to be honored this year by AAAS, the world’s largest scientific society and the publisher of the journal Science.

Each year, the AAAS Council – the policymaking body of the society – elects members who have shown “scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.” Fellows are nominated by their peers and undergo an extensive review process.