Ian Frazer
Ian Hector Frazer (born 6 January 1953) is an Australian immunologist, best known for his work on the development of a cervical cancer vaccine, which works by protecting women from Human papillomavirus (HPV). Frazer was born in Glasgow, Scotland. Frazer initially enrolled to study physics at Edinburgh University, but the emerging job prospects at that time did not appeal to him and so he switched to training as a physician, specialising in immunology. He emigrated to Melbourne in 1980 to research viral immunology at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, and moved to Queensland in 1985 where he currently heads the University of Queensland's Diamantina Institute for Cancer, Immunology and Metabolic Medicine at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.
In 2005 Frazer and his research groups undertook clinical study of a vaccine against human papillomavirus, which was 100% effective in preventing common cervical cancers caused by the virus types covered by the vaccine. One version of the vaccine named Gardasil, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and has been approved for use in the European Union. Ian Frazer personally administered the first publicly available injection of the vaccine in Australia in August 2006.[1] He is also involved in a large clinical trial taking place in Australia and China of a therapeutic vaccine against genital warts.[2]
In January 2006 he was named Australian of the Year.[3] Also in that year, he received the Cancer Research Institute's William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Basic and Tumor Immunology along with Harald zur Hausen. He was awarded the Florey Medal for biomedical research in March 2007. He won the Balzan Prize in September 2008 for his work developing a vaccine for cervical cancer.
In November 2008, Professor Ian Frazer is set to unveil a skin cancer vaccine that may start in human trials as early as 2009.[4]
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Fiona Wood |
Australian of the Year Award 2006 |
Succeeded by Tim Flannery |
- ^ Pollard, R. One small jab, but a giant leap for womankind, Sydney Morning Herald, 29 August 2006
- ^ The HPV vaccine is also being tested on Males currently and is expected to be passed early next year. With Female clinical trials over 10000 women were tested with the vaccine and only 2% were found to have not been successful.Aussie of the Year announces new vaccine trial, UQ News, 7 February 2006
- ^ Australian of the Year 2006 Professor Ian Frazer Australian of the Year, accessed 2008-01-17
- ^ Human trials of a world-first skin cancer vaccine could start as early as next year. Frazer to unveil skin cancer vaccine, Sydney Morning Herald, 16 November 2008
