5/18/2015
John F. Alcorn, Ph.D., assistant professor of pediatrics in the Division of Pulmonology at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, has been selected as the 2015 recipient of the Parker B. Francis Jo Rae Wright Award for Scientific Excellence. The award has been established by the Parker B. Francis Fellowship Program and the Francis Family Foundation to honor Jo Rae Wright, Ph.D.
The award will be presented to Dr. Alcorn today at the Parker B. Francis Fellowship Reception at the American Thoracic Society meeting.
"The Parker B. Francis Fellowship Program and the Francis Family Foundation has been instrumental in my early career development to independence,” said Dr. Alcorn, also assistant professor of pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “Receiving this award is exceptionally meaningful to me as I previously completed my Ph.D. training under Jo Rae's mentorship at Duke University. I am honored to be the recipient Jo Rae Wright Award and I hope to continue on the path toward becoming a leader in pulmonary research."
Dr. Alcorn’s research focuses on T-cell mediated immunity during influenza infections and secondary bacterial pneumonia, as well as the role of T-cells in severe, steroid-insensitive asthma.
The Parker B. Francis Jo Rae Wright Award for Scientific Excellence is given annually to a recent graduate of the Fellowship Program whose research shows outstanding creativity and promise and who has demonstrated outstanding mentoring and professional leadership qualities. Dr. Alcorn will receive a one-time award of $5,000 to be used to support research costs.
Dr. Jo Rae Wright was a world-renowned scientist, devoted teacher and mentor, and a leader in academia and professional organizations. She served as dean of the Graduate School of Duke University and was president of the American Thoracic Society in 2008. She received the American Physiological Society's Walter B. Cannon Award for lifetime achievements in research in 2005. She served as a member of the Parker B. Francis Fellowship Program Council of Scientific Advisors from 2004 through 2007 and was a mentor to Parker B. Francis Fellows.
For more information on Dr. Alcorn, visit www.chp.edu.
Andrea Kunicky, 412-692-6254, andrea.kunicky@chp.edu
Marc Lukasiak, 412-692-7919, marc.lukasiak@chp.edu