ITHACA, N.Y. -- A Cornell University researcher has won a prestigious Burroughs-Wellcome Fund Investigators in Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease Award, given to a young researcher whose work focuses primarily on the interaction of pathogens with their human hosts.

John Parker, assistant professor with the Baker Institute for Animal Health in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell, won one of the 11 awards given this year. Parker's work explores reoviruses that affect the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tract of humans and selectively kill cancer cells. 

"We are seeking to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie the ability of mammalian reoviruses to preferentially kill certain types of cancer cells," said Parker. He was one of 123 applicants who were nominated from universities around the country. The award offers $80,000 a year for five years to researchers without tenure or within five years of receiving tenure. 

"Actually, while the money is nice, there are other perks to this award," said Parker, who joined the Cornell faculty in 2003. "You get your name published in Science. But the best part may be that because it is so prestigious, it attracts good applicants to the lab."