UQ's cervical cancer vaccine co-creator Professor Ian Frazer has won a major international prize worth more than $1.08 million.
Professor Frazer, the Director of UQ's Diamantina Institute for Cancer, Immunology and Metabolic Medicine and 2006 Australian of the Year, has won the Balzan Prize for Preventive Medicine, announced in Milan on September 8.
It is one of up to four Balzan awards presented each year to people or organisations making outstanding achievements in the fields of humanities, natural sciences, culture, and peace efforts. Previous winners include Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul XXIII.
Professor Frazer will receive his prize at a special ceremony in Rome in November this year.
The prize stipulates that each winner dedicate half of his or her prize money to projects conducted by young researchers.
Professor Frazer and his late research partner Dr Jian Zhou contributed to the development of a vaccine for cervical cancer.
"It's great to see Australian science acknowledged in the international arena through this prestigious award," Professor Frazer said.
"I'm delighted that award funds will be used to further the career of a young scientist in the area of cancer immunology. I'm honoured to be selected for recognition on behalf of those who worked on the papillomavirus vaccine technology, particularly my late colleague Dr Jian Zhou."
Since the vaccine's global application in 2006, more than 29 million doses have been administered to women and girls in more than 90 countries.
Acting UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor David Siddle congratulated Professor Frazer on his award.
"Ian is a most worthy winner – his pioneering work over two decades is an inspiration to others and has potentially saved many lives as well as raised awareness of a devastating disease," he said.
The vaccine protects against about 70 percent of human papillomavirus-related cervical cancers, with more than 270,000 women previously dying each year from the disease.
The assets behind the International Balzan Prize Foundation were established by Eugenio Balzan (1874-1953), a part-owner of Italian evening newspaper, the Corriere della Sera, who left Italy in 1933 in protest against fascism.
He left a substantial inheritance to his daughter Angela Lina Balzan (1892-1956), who at the time was suffering an incurable disease. Before her death, she left instructions for the foundation.