Cancer vaccine developer honoured with fellowship

University of Queensland (UQ) researcher Professor Ian Frazer has been awarded the inaugural $1.25 million Smart State Premier’s Fellowship.

The prestigious Fellowship comes on top of his recent Australian of the Year award for his work in developing a vaccine for cervical cancer.

The Smart State Premier's Fellowships scheme provides funding to entice experienced and distinguished researchers of national and international prominence to lead research teams in Queensland universities, research institutes, government agencies or industry research facilities.

Professor Frazer said the Premier's Fellowship would allow him to further his work into effective specific immunotherapy, which is widely predicted to be an effective treatment for chronic viral infections and for cancer.

“This research program will pave the way for the development of further therapeutic vaccines,” Professor Frazer said.

“I am honoured to receive this Fellowship, which will allow me to continue my research into these important treatments.”

UQ Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor David Siddle congratulated Professor Frazer on the award of the Premier's Fellowship, which UQ will match with further funding support for a total Fellowship package in excess of $2.5 million over five years.

“Professor Frazer’s contributions to Australian and international science are nothing short of remarkable and his national capacity building in the field is exceptional,” Professor Siddle said.

“His public profile has impacted positively on interest in Queensland, including the key strengths of his centre and the University as a biotechnology and research training environment.”

Professor Frazer will continue to be the Director of UQ’s Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research (CICR), which he founded, and where he leads a cutting-edge research program of immunological research.

Media inquiries: Anton Sanker , CICR Business Manager (0412 057 512).