NIH Researcher Recognized for Contributions to Structural Biology Techniques Tuesday, January 19, 2021 IRP researcher Robert Tycko was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2020 for his important contributions to the field of structural biology. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS), established in 1863, is comprised of the United States’ most distinguished scientific scholars, including nearly 500 Nobel Prize winners. Members of the NAS are elected by their peers and entrusted with the responsibility of providing independent, objective advice on national matters related to science and technology in an effort to advance innovations in the United States. IRP senior investigator Robert Tycko, Ph.D., was one of two NIH researchers elected to the NAS in 2020, an honor he hopes will give him the opportunity to help other scientists and improve the way science is done.