Marie Inder, who will graduate from Otago University today with a PhD in microbiology and immunology, said the research, at the university's virus research unit, could create "exciting new options" for medical treatment.
Those included potentially improved recovery from some strokes, by increasing the repair of blood vessels in the brain.
After her own father, Robert Inder, survived a stroke in 2004, she had become more aware of the need to improve post-stroke therapies.
A growth factor protein generated by the virus could also potentially be used in other therapeutic settings, including to improve healing of diabetic skin ulcers and burn injuries.
Ms Inder devoted her doctoral studies to analysing the growth-factor protein- called "vascular skin growth factor" (VEGF). This promotes skin and blood vessel development.
The growth factor is generated by the orf virus, using hijacked host cells.
The orf virus causes scabby mouth in sheep, and a skin infection in humans.
In order to generate the protein growth factor by using hijacked host cells, the virus uses a gene it had earlier "stolen" from its hosts hundreds of thousands of years ago.
The virus replicates only in growing host skin cells, and uses the VEGF protein to promote positive conditions for its own development.
An unusual aspect of this particular growth factor is that it stimulates skin growth without promoting an inflammatory response.
This could help in therapeutic uses, including wound healing.
Ms Inder, who is of Samoan ancestry, said she was "really excited and really relieved" to have completed her research, which was supported by an HRC Pacific Health PhD Scholarship.
Andrew Mercer, who is director of the microbiology department's virus research unit, has said some viruses deployed "a vast array of weapons".
By enlisting aspects of the viruses' strengths to work for humans rather than against them, "a whole new arsenal of tools" could be created to counter diseases.
Prof Mercer, who supervised Ms Inder's research, with fellow supervisors Dr Lyn Wise and Dr Stephen Fleming, said her research had contributed significantly to the field.
