fbpx Nobel Laureate Harald zur Hausen, M.D. to Speak at 23rd Annual Biomedical Distinguished Lecture Series at Chestnut Hill College | Chestnut Hill College Skip to content Skip to navigation
Menu

Nobel Laureate Harald zur Hausen, M.D. to Speak at 23rd Annual Biomedical Distinguished Lecture Series at Chestnut Hill College

Nobel Laureate Harald zur Hausen, M.D. to Speak at 23rd Annual Biomedical Distinguished Lecture Series at Chestnut Hill College

Prof. Dr. Harald zur Hausen Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 10, 2016

CONTACT: Cristina Diaz
Media and Community Relations Manager
215.753.3684

Philadelphia, PA- Harald zur Hausen, M.D., 2008 winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, will present the lecture, “Identification of Novel Agents as Risk Factors for Colon and Breast Cancers and Neurological Disorders” on Monday, March 21, at 2 p.m. in the East Parlor, St. Joseph Hall. Dr. zur Hausen’s lecture is presented as part of the College’s 23rd Annual Biomedical Distinguished Lecture Series.

Dr. zur Hausen’s impact on the scientific and biomedical community includes his discovery that the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer. His research laid the foundation for the discovery of vaccines such as Gardasil and Cervarix.

In his keynote, Dr. zur Hausen will provide a glimpse into his current research work, which focuses on the putative role of novel viruses in cancers of the colon and the breast as well as in multiple sclerosis (MS). In addition, he will lead an open discussion with students to cover current existing measures for HPV prevention prior to the lecture.

In addition to the Nobel Prize, Dr. zur Hausen has been awarded the Ernst Jung Prize for excellence in biomedical sciences, the Prince Mahidol Award for outstanding achievements in medicine and public health worldwide, the Life Science Achievement Award of the American Association of Cancer Research and the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize for investigations in medicine.

Formerly a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Virology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and chair (1983-2003) of the scientific advisory board of the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, Germany, Dr. zur Hausen is the third Nobel Laureate to speak as part of the Biomedical Distinguished Lecture Series, joining Michael S. Brown, M.D. (2013) and Stanley B. Prusiner, M.D. (2004).

“No other undergraduate institution in the country has a biomedical lecture series of this caliber, featuring three Nobel Laureates and countless others who are internationally acclaimed and who have made groundbreaking contributions in the biomedical field,” says Lakshmi Atchison, Ph.D., professor of biology and director of the biomedical lecture series. “The speakers chosen all have one thing in common — their work has saved lives. Dr. zur Hausen is no exception and we are so fortunate to have someone of his stature coming to campus to talk about his groundbreaking and life-saving research.”   

This lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Lakshmi Atchison, Ph.D., professor biology and director of the biomedical distinguished lecture series, at 215.248.7159 or email: latchiso@chc.edu.

 

###

About Chestnut Hill College

Celebrating more than 90 years of tradition and risk, Chestnut Hill College is a four-year coed Catholic college in the Ignatian tradition that offers a traditional liberal arts undergraduate program as well as accelerated undergraduate degrees, master’s and doctoral programs. The College has been rated by US News & World Report as among the best master’s universities in the North, as among the best Northeastern colleges by The Princeton Review, and has been classified as selective by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Since 1924, the College has offered a rigorous curriculum that provides students with a broad background in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The goal of Chestnut Hill College has been to prepare students for life’s challenges by helping them to grow intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and socially.

For more information about this press release or other Chestnut Hill College news, contact the News and Community Relations office.