Nobel Laureate Professor Zur Hausen to present Qatar Foundation’s 12th Distinguished Lecture Series

This year’s Distinguished Lecture Series, organized by Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development’s Research Division, will host Nobel Laureate in Medicine Professor Harald zur Hausen, and his work on “The Search for Viruses in Human Cancers.” Professor Zur Hausen has been at the forefront of numerous groundbreaking discoveries, particularly the role of papillomaviruses in cervical cancer, and will add a unique voice to Qatar Foundation’s ambitious agenda for advancements in science and research. With the support and commitment of the Research Division, Education City has become a world-class center for innovation, furthering Qatar’s journey to a knowledge-based economy. 

Professor Harald zur Hausen studied medicine at the universities of Bonn, Hamburg and Düsseldorf.  He also worked at the Institute of Microbiology in Düsseldorf and was an Assistant Professor in the Virus Laboratories of the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia. From 1983 until 2003 he was appointed as Scientific Director of the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg and since 2006 has been a member of the National Science Transfer and Development Agency in Bangkok, Thailand.  He also holds memberships to editorial boards of several journals.  

Holding 12 honorary degrees, Professor Zur Hausen has been the recipient of numerous local and international awards. He is also an elected member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States. 

The lecture’s focus will identify infectious agents that cause human cancers and as well as the risks of infected persons. His lecture will also highlight successful preventive strategies that have been developed, including chemotherapy and antibiotic treatment, to eliminate parasitic infections.

The lecture is free and open to the public, and will convene Monday 12 December from 12.00 to 2.00 PM in Lecture Hall 4 at Weill Cornell Medical College at Qatar (WCMC-Q).  Upon completion of the lecture, the floor will open for discussion with Professor Zur Hausen regarding his work.

Hosting Nobel Laureates and other world renowned individuals in the field of science provides Qatar with invaluable opportunities for collaboration and collective brainstorming, undoubtedly opening doors for innovation and technological advancement for the country in the future. 

Qatar Foundation’s commitment to building human capacity through the Research Division’s interactive lecture series will unlock Qatar’s potential for success in the international arena.