Two University of Oregon faculty members have been named 2024 fellows by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), joining 471 other newly elected members whose work has distinguished them in the science community and beyond.
This year’s fellows and their areas of research are Darren Johnson, chemistry and biochemistry, and Stephen Frost, anthropology.
“Professors Johnson and Frost exemplify the profound impact that fundamental research can have on both our understanding of the past and the challenges of the present,” said Anshuman “AR” Razdan, vice president for research and innovation at the UO. “Steve’s groundbreaking work in paleoanthropology has reshaped our knowledge of primate evolution and environmental change. Meanwhile, Darren’s pioneering advancements in supramolecular chemistry are driving innovative solutions for environmental sustainability, from water purification to next-generation materials. Their contributions not only push the frontiers of science but also inspire new generations of researchers to translate discovery into real-world impact."
Molecular Bonds and Sapphire Clothing
Chemist Darren Johnson has spent his career exploring how molecules interact. AAAS recognizes his work in the field of materials chemistry, particularly for advancing main group supramolecular chemistry and designing sensors for anions (negatively charged particles) in agriculture and human health.
Supramolecular chemistry is the study of how molecules interact without forming permanent bonds—an approach nature itself uses in processes like protein folding. One aspect of Johnson’s research focuses on designing materials that target toxic elements like arsenic, antimony, and bismuth, some of which pose serious environmental and health risks.
In collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, his research team has worked on removing arsenic from drinking water, an issue affecting millions worldwide. Anions are much harder to remove from solutions, such as water and blood, than positively charged ones. His team has pioneered new molecular techniques to improve anion detection and removal, helping to tackle contamination in both natural and industrial settings.
Johnson’s research has also led to unexpected real-world applications. While attempting to create a sensor for chloride detection, his former PhD student Calden Carroll accidentally discovered a highly effective nitrate sensor, crucial for precision agriculture. This breakthrough led to the formation of Suprasensor Technologies, a startup that was eventually acquired by The Climate Corporation.
Inspired by this success, Johnson now helps students translate lab discoveries into real-world technologies through programs like Lens of the Market—a three-stage training and education program that helps scientists and engineers understand and evaluate market needs and develop the skills required for successful translation of their research into commercial ventures.
“Suprasensor’s story underscores the value of fundamental science,” Johnson said. “It was a university-grown start-up company that had a successful exit through acquisition. More important than building value in a product was building value in people. Calden’s whole team was acquired. It was as much talent acquisition as technology acquisition.”
Looking ahead, Johnson’s team is focusing on removing harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from textiles and paper, developing sustainable coatings as an alternative. A recent National Science Foundation grant launched the multi-institution Center for Aqueous Supramolecular Chemistry where Johnson and his coworkers seek to develop methods and materials to capture and destroy PFAS chemicals form the environment. And a pending Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant application could catalyze another startup. Johnson’s PhD student Alex Rosen has developed a sapphire (aluminum oxide) coating that is UV-resistant, water-repellant, and scratch-resistant.
“What we’re interested in is the water-repellent part,” Johnson said. “There’s a big need to get PFAS products out of clothing and paper worldwide. Alex’s discovery could be an effective new way to coat materials that doesn’t contribute to soil and water contamination.
Johnson remains deeply committed to mentoring students, fostering an environment that encourages creative approaches to fundamental chemistry research.
“I get a lot more enjoyment out of my students having success out of the lab than I ever did in the lab,” Johnson said. “And I have more flexibility to think about innovation, about the applications of basic science to solve difficult problems like PFAS pollution.”
Fossil Monkeys and Unraveling the Mysteries of Climatic Change
As a child, paleoanthropologist Stephen Frost spent hours leafing through his parents’ yellow-spined National Geographic collection, which sparked his interest in science. That collection, the early issues of which were printed in the 1960s, has followed him to his office at the University of Oregon, a brightly colored reminder of thrilling scientific discovery across the decades.
Frost has spent his career studying how climate change and evolution intersect, particularly through the lens of African monkey fossils. His AAAS recognition comes for his contributions to the taxonomy and systematics of these ancient primates, or African Plio-Pleistocene Cercopithecidae.
Frost’s research explores how past climatic shifts shaped ecosystems and influenced species survival. One key focus is a global cooling event 2.5 million years ago, which transformed African forests into grasslands. Some researchers argue this event played a role in early human evolution, possibly leading to the extinction of Australopithecus afarensis (the fossil known as “Lucy”) and the emergence of our own genus Homo. While antelope species of that era suffered extinctions, monkeys and pigs seemed relatively unaffected.
One of only a handful of people in the world who study monkey fossils, Frost’s research challenges the idea that climate change always causes mass die-offs, showing instead that adaptable species shift their behavior or migrate to new areas rather than disappear.
Frost is often called upon by other scientists to analyze monkey fossils discovered at archaeological digs. One reason is that monkeys serve as valuable environmental indicators. Their diets and behaviors help reconstruct ancient habitats, providing insights into the landscapes where early humans lived. Monkeys can also help determine the ages of fossil sites (using a method called biochronology) and refine timelines of early primate and human evolution. Biochronological age estimates are important to cross-check and refine those from radiometric dating and paleomagnetic correlation (measuring the polarity of rocks with magnetic material).
“Monkeys make great analogues to ask questions about human fossils,” Frost said. “At sites where you find human fossils, you find thousands of other vertebrate fossils. For example, at the Aramis site in modern-day Ethiopia, researchers uncovered 90 4.4-million-year-old early human ancestor fossils and up to 2,500 monkey fossils. Not to mention the horses, pigs, and antelopes also found at the site.”
Looking ahead, Frost is in the process of co-authoring a book that will document and analyze all African fossil monkeys at the species level, a long-overdue update to a field that hasn’t seen such a comprehensive review in 45 years. Additionally, he continues to explore morphometrics, a technique that use 3D shape analysis of parts of fossils like skulls and hand bones, to better understand primate evolution. On his desk sits a blue, 3D-printed skull Frost terms a “thought experiment”— a hypothesis generated with 3D data from modern monkeys of what the cranium of the common ancestor of living monkeys looked like.
Frost’s work not only enhances our understanding of the past but also informs how species, including humans, might respond to modern climate challenges. Through fossils, he reveals a fundamental lesson: adaptability is key to survival and evolution.
Frost said that being named a 2024 AAAS fellow underscores the importance of academic research—universities provide the space and resources for scientists to pursue questions like, “Where did we come from?”, “How did we get to where we are today?”, and “What will happen to our species as climate change intensifies?”
“To me, a purpose of higher education is about learning about what others have learned in order to be a better citizen,” Frost said. “University students learn great, directly translatable skills: critical thinking, communication, and being able to think flexibly. In higher education, you’re guided through a mountain of information to find the parts that are most meaningful. You’re taught how to critically evaluate information and to know when someone is lying to you with numbers.
“That said, I’m a firm believer in that it’s OK to learn things that aren’t immediately useful. There’s joy in doing something our species has done for an epoch: Learning things for the sake of learning.”