Preventing HPV-Associated Cancer by Vaccination - Douglas Lowy - Lasker Lecture - 15th APSA Meeting
Channel: American Physician Scientists Association (APSA)
Date: 2019-05-15

Douglas Lowy, MD, delivered the 2019 Lasker/APSA Award Lecture at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Physician Scientists Association (APSA) in Chicago, IL.  Creation of the HPV vaccine was a monumental step in cancer therapy, providing the first widespread, highly-effective cancer vaccine by way of halting the virus which predisposes to cervical and other cancers.  Dr. Lowy is Acting Director of the National Cancer Institute and a pioneering cancer researcher.  With his long-time collaborator John Schiller, he received the 2017 Lasker~DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award.

In his lecture, "Preventing HPV-Associated Cancer by Vaccination", Dr. Lowy took us down the winding road which led to development of the HPV vaccine, including the surprising (and inspiring for many trainees!) anecdote that he and his colleagues knew precious little about vaccines or cancer when they began to investigate how a vaccine against HPV might be developed.  Curiosity, perseverance, and intellect triumph over disease.  APSA is grateful to the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation for making this award lecture possible.  To learn more about the Lasker Foundation, visit http://www.laskerfoundation.org/