The Award recognizes scientists who have made substantial contributions to the study of basic parasitology through breakthroughs that have unlocked completely new areas of work. ASTMH selected Lourido in recognition of his groundbreaking discoveries on the molecular biology of toxoplasma. In particular, he was lauded for his use of cutting-edge CRISPR tools to study the fundamental biology of Toxoplasma gondii, a single-celled parasite that infects about 25 percent of humans.