An associate professor with Salk Institute was named one of three winners of the Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists, which comes with $250,000 for her pioneering bacteria research.
Janelle Ayres is shedding light on host-pathogen interactions, which has the potential to address a major public health threat: anti-microbial resistance.
She discovered that microbes have evolved mechanisms promoting the health of the host, supporting their survival. This revelation could lead to novel therapies free of evolving bacteria resistance, unlike antibiotics.
Ayres, who is also Helen McLoraine Developmental chair at Salk, was selected among 286 outstanding faculty-rank researchers age 42 or younger. Nominations came from 146 institutions across 42 states.
By the end of the year, the Blavatnik Awards will have awarded prizes totaling $6.6 million, honoring 271 young scientists and engineers.
