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CORVALLIS, Ore. – James Carrington, professor and director of the Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing at Oregon State University, has been chosen as the Researcher of the Year by OSU’s chapter of Sigma Xi, a research and scientific honor society.

Carrington is an expert in virus-host interactions in plants and “small RNA” pathways – systems that can control the development, structure, genome and antiviral defense in plants. A few years ago the research on biological powers of small RNA molecules, some of which were based on Carrington’s work, were cited by the journal Science as the scientific “breakthrough of the year.” His work has also “significantly altered our understanding of gene regulation in plants,” scientists said in nominating him for this honor.

“Jim is an outstanding scientist who has made seminal contributions to our understanding of the role of small RNAs in plants,” said Dan Arp, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at OSU.

Carrington received his doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley and has been on the OSU faculty since 2001.