Bruce Alberts is a respected biochemist with a strong commitment to the improvement of science and mathematics education. He returned to the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco, in 2005 after serving two six-year terms as the president of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).

During his tenure at the NAS, Alberts was instrumental in developing the landmark National Science Education standards that have been implemented in school systems nationwide. Alberts is also noted as one of the original authors of The Molecular Biology of the Cell, a preeminent textbook in the field now in its fourth edition. For the period 2000 to 2009, he serves as the co-chair of the InterAcademy Council, a new organization in Amsterdam governed by the presidents of 15 national academies of sciences and established to provide scientific advice to the world.

Widely recognized for his work in the fields of biochemistry and molecular biology, Alberts has earned many honors and awards, including 15 honorary degrees. He currently serves on the advisory boards of more than 15 non-profit institutions. He is an Overseer at Harvard University, a Trustee of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, a Trustee of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the president-elect of the American Society of Cell Biology.