Harald zur Hausen
German virologist and professor emeritus (1936-2023) · Germany · Academics · Died at 87
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Something wrong?He chased a virus no one believed caused cancer - and turned out to be right. Harald zur Hausen's work on papilloma and cervical tumors reshaped prevention worldwide and earned him a Nobel.
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Spouse: Ethel-Michele de VilliersAbout this person
Born 11 March 1936 in Germany, zur Hausen trained as a virologist at a time when the link between infection and cancer was still controversial. He pursued the hypothesis that human papillomavirus played a role in cervical cancer, isolating HPV DNA from tumour biopsies through the 1970s and 1980s despite widespread scepticism. The findings held: certain HPV strains were the primary cause, a discovery that later enabled the development of preventive vaccines. He chaired the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg and received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2008. He died 29 May 2023.
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