04/03/2013 by Sel No. 21c

Harald zur Hausen elected into the First Class of the Fellows of the American Association for Cancer Research Academy

The American Association for Cancer Research will inaugurate the first class of the Fellows of the AACR Academy at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013, held in Washington, D.C., April 6-10. Among the first fellows is Nobel Prize Winner Harald zur Hausen, former Scientific Director of the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg.

The AACR Academy has been created to recognize and honor distinguished scientists whose major scientific contributions have propelled significant innovation and progress against cancer. These Fellows have been selected through a rigorous peer review process that evaluates individuals on the basis of their stellar scientific achievements in cancer research. Harald zur Hausen discovered the connection between human papilloma virus infection and cervical cancer. Upon his discoveries a vaccine could be developed.

Harald zur Hausen said: “It is a great honor to be elected in this very first class of academy members of the AACR. I am looking forward to meet my new colleagues from all over the world."

“Our Board of Directors made the decision to establish the AACR Academy as a mechanism for recognizing scientists whose contributions to the cancer field have had an extraordinary impact. Membership in the Fellows of the AACR Academy will be the most prestigious honor bestowed by the American Association for Cancer Research," said Margaret Foti, chief executive officer of the AACR.

The inaugural class of Fellows of the AACR Academy will consist of 106 individuals, symbolizing the age of the organization upon establishment of the Academy. Future classes of Fellows shall consist of no more than 11 individuals, in honor of the 11 founding members of the American Association for Cancer Research. These Fellows will be elected by a vote of all the Fellows of the AACR Academy.

About DKFZ

With more than 3,000 employees, the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is Germany’s largest biomedical research institute. DKFZ scientists identify cancer risk factors, investigate how cancer progresses and develop new cancer prevention strategies. They are also developing new methods to diagnose tumors more precisely and treat cancer patients more successfully. The DKFZ's Cancer Information Service (KID) provides patients, interested citizens and experts with individual answers to questions relating to cancer.

To transfer promising approaches from cancer research to the clinic and thus improve the prognosis of cancer patients, the DKFZ cooperates with excellent research institutions and university hospitals throughout Germany:

National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT, 6 sites)
German Cancer Consortium (DKTK, 8 sites)
Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ) Heidelberg
Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology (HI-TRON Mainz) - A Helmholtz Institute of the DKFZ
DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim
National Cancer Prevention Center (jointly with German Cancer Aid)

The DKFZ is 90 percent financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and 10 percent by the state of Baden-Württemberg. The DKFZ is a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers.