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Vice President of the Leopoldina 2003 - 2009
Year of election: | 1987 |
Section: | Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine |
City: | Heidelberg |
Country: | Germany |
Harald zur Hausen worked for a long period of time on problems of virus-linked human carcinogenesis. He and his group identified those types of human papilloma- viruses, which are the main causative agents for cervical cancer. Among a number of other contributions, these were the studies which resulted in the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2008. For twenty years, he acted as Scientific Director of the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum in Heidelberg, and retired six years ago, but continues to work as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Cancer.