Peter Cornish Named Pew Scholar

Peter V. Cornish, an assistant professor of biochemistry at the University of Missouri, Columbia, has been named a 2012 Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences by the Pew Charitable Trusts. An ACS member, Cornish is among 22 scientists selected for this year’s recognition, which honors the U.S.’s most innovative young researchers.

Cornish uses single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer and nuclear magnetic resonance to investigate the dynamics and assembly of ribo­nucleo­protein complexes. His work has provided new information on the mechanisms of protein synthesis and could reveal targets for the design of antibiotics that interrupt protein synthesis in disease-causing microbes. Cornish will receive $240,000 over four years to pursue his research.

By supporting scientists early in their careers, the Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences enables promising scientists to take calculated risks and follow unanticipated leads to advance human health.