Research

Research Priorities: Development of cancer forms from viral infections, human papilloma viruses, cervical cancer

Harald zur Hausen was a German physician. Since the 1960s, he had pursued the question as to what role viruses play in the development of cancer in humans. Together with his research team, he succeeded in identifying different types of human papilloma viruses responsible for the development of cervical cancer. His research made it possible to develop a vaccine against cervical cancer, one of the most common forms of cancer in women. In 2008, Harald zur Hausen was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his scientific achievements.

Aside from his research, which is considered revolutionary in the field of tumour virology, Harald zur Hausen has dedicated himself to many other tasks. During his long tenure as the editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Cancer as well as in his roles as a member, chairperson and president of many institutions, he was able to advance the scientific and networking aspects of the field of oncology. Until his retirement in 2003, he was the head of the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg for 20 years. For his work, Harald zur Hausen has been awarded numerous national and international prizes, honorary professorships, and honorary doctorates.

Career

• since 2003 Professor Emeritus
• 2002 John H. Blaffer Visiting Professor, M.D. Anderson Center, The University of Texas, Austin, USA
• 1998 Link Visiting Professor, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
• 1988 General Motors Visiting Professor, F. Hutchinson Cancer Center and University of Seattle, Seattle, USA
• 1988 Honorary Professorship, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
• 1985 General Motors Visiting Professor, McArdle University, Madison, USA
• 1983-2004 Chairperson and Scientific Member, Management Board, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
• 1981 Visiting Professor, Microbiological Society of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
• 1977-1983 Chairperson and Professor of Virology and Hygiene, Centre for Hygiene, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
• 1976 Queensland Professor, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia
• 1974 Visiting Professor, University of Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
• 1972-1977 Professor, Head, and Chairperson, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
• 1969-1972 Assistant and Head Assistant, Institute for Virology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU), Würzburg, Germany
• 1969 Habilitation in Virology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
• 1968 Assistant Professor of Virology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
• 1966-1969 Research Associate, Division of Virology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
• 1962-1966 Research Associate, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU), Düsseldorf, Germany
• 1962 Licence to practise medicine
• 1960-1962 Medical Resident, Wimbern, Isny and Gelsenkirchen
• 1960 Ph.D. in Medicine, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
• 1955-1960 Degree in Medicine, University of Bonn, Universität Hamburg and University of Düsseldorf, Germany

Functions

• 2014-2017 Chairperson, Board of Trustees, Paul Ehrlich Foundation, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
• since 2010 Vice President, European Academy of Cancer
• until 2010 Editor in Chief, International Journal of Cancer
• 2007-2011 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
• 2007-2009 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF), Vienna, Austria
• since 2007 Member, International Advisory Committee, National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Bangkok, Thailand
• 2006-2009 Member, Board of Directors, International Union against Cancer, Geneva, Switzerland
• 2005-2009 Member, International Advisory Board, Institut National du Cancer, Paris, France
• 2003-2009 Vice President, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
• 2003-2006 Member, Board of Trustees of the Scientific Advisory Board, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
• 2003-2005 Member, Board of Health Research, Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany
• 2001-2003 Vice President, Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, Germany
• 1999-2009 Member, Advisory Board, International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research (INCTR), Brussels, Belgium
• 1999-2000 Vice Chairperson, German-American Academic Council (DAAK)
• 1998-2002 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
• 1998-2000 Member, DAAK
• 1996-2006 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cancer Research (LBI-CR), Vienna, Austria
• 1994-1998 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Imperial Cancer Research Centre (ICRF), London, UK

Honours and Memberships

• 2020 Order of Merit of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
• 2017 Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, USA
• 2012 Ernst Wertheim Prize, Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Gynäkologische Onkologie (AGO), Vienna, Austria
• 2011 Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art, Germany
• 2011 Tsungming-Tu Prize, National Science Council, Taiwan
• 2011 Member, Ludwig Heilmeyer Society, Cologne, Germany
• 2010 Grand Georgios Papanicolaou Award, Hellenic Society, New York City, USA
• 2010 Hall of Fame of German Research, Manager Magazin, Berlin, Germany
• 2010 The Economist’s Innovation Award, The Economist, London, UK
• 2010 Foreign Member, Societas Scientarum Fennica, Finland
• 2010 Member, American Association for Cancer Research, USA
• 2010 Member, German Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Germany
• 2010 Member, International Association for Dental Research, Barcelona, Spain
• 2010 Honorary Member, Australian Society for Microbiology, Australia
• 2010 Member, Ecuadorial Society of Pathology of the Genital Tract and Colposcopy, Ecuador
• 2010 Honorary Citizen, Quevedo, Ecuador
• 2010 Member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany
• 2009 Great Cross of Merit with the Star of the Order of Merit, Federal Republic of Germany
• 2009 Foreign Member, National Academy of Sciences, USA
• 2008 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, Nobel Foundation, Stockholm, Sweden
• 2008 Canada Gairdner International Award, Gairdner Foundation, Toronto, Canada
• 2008 AACR Lifetime Achievement Award, American Association of Cancer Research, USA
• 2008 Fellow, World Academy of Arts and Sciences
• 2008 Honorary Member, European Academy of Sciences and Arts
• 2007 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize, Warren Alpert Foundation, Providence, USA
• 2007 Loeffler Frosch Award, Society of Virology, Erlangen, Germany
• 2007 Johann-Georg-Zimmermann Prize, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (MHH), and Deutsche Hypothekenbank AG, Hanover, Germany
• 2006 Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• 2006 William B. Coley Award, Cancer Research Institute, New York City, USA
• 2006 Raymond Bourgine Award, Laboratoires Pierre Fabre, Castres, and Association pour la Vie-Espoir contre le Cancer, Paris, France
• 2006 Member, Sociedad Peruana de Cancerologia, Lima, Peru
• 2005 Prinz Mahidol Award, Thailand
• 2005 Award, Panamerican Society for Clinical Virology, Clearwater, USA
• 2005 Honorary Member, German Dermatological Society, Germany
• 2004 Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
• 2003 Member, Academy of Cancer Immunology, New York City, USA
• 2003 Honorary Member, German Society of Virology, Germany
• 2002 Isaac Berenblum Memorial Lecture, Rehovot, Israel
• 1999 Charles Rodolphe Brupbacher Prize for Cancer Research, Charles Rodolphe Brupbacher Foundation, Vaduz, Liechtenstein
• 1998 Member, American Philosophical Society, USA
• 1996 Jacob Henle Medal, Faculty of Medicine, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
• 1996 Ernst Jung Prize, Jung Foundation for Science and Research, Hamburg, Germany
• 1994 Behring Lecture, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
• 1994 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize, Paul Ehrlich Foundation, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
• 1986 Member, Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Heidelberg, Germany
• 1986 German Cancer Prize, German Cancer Foundation, Germany
• 1986 Charles S. Mott Prize, General Motors Cancer Research Foundation
• 1975 Robert Koch Award, Robert Koch Foundation, Berlin, Germany