Yuan Chang, MD
Patrick S. Moore, MD
One of the most prestigious awards in the field of medicine will be presented to University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine faculty members and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) researchers Yuan Chang, MD, and Patrick S. Moore, MD.
The duo, whose Chang-Moore Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Cancer Center is credited with discovering two of the seven known human viruses that directly cause cancer, will receive the 2017 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize, given annually to medical researchers who have made significant contributions in the fields of immunology, cancer research, microbiology, and chemotherapy.
Drs. Chang and Moore discovered the Kaposi’s sarcoma–associated herpesvirus, or human herpesvirus 8, in 1994. The virus causes Kaposi’s sarcoma, the most common AIDS-related malignancy and one of the most frequently occurring cancers in Africa. In 2008, the pair also identified Merkel cell polyomavirus—the cause of Merkel cell carcinoma, one of the world’s most clinically aggressive skin cancers.
National, International Honors
Drs. Chang and Moore have been widely recognized for their work, which has garnered some of the highest national and international honors in medicine, infectious disease, and cancer. Together, they have been honored with the 2012 Marjorie Stephenson Prize from the Society of General Microbiology in the United Kingdom; the 2003 Charles S. Mott Award from the General Motors Cancer Research Foundation; the 1998 Robert Koch Prize; and the 1997 Meyenburg Prize. Drs. Chang and Moore also are elected fellows of the National Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Chang’s current research centers on viral oncogenesis, with efforts specifically focused on Kaposi’s sarcoma–associated herpes virus, Merkel cell polyomavirus, and discovery of new pathogens. Dr. Moore’s research focuses on addressing cancers caused by viruses and how this information can be used to understand molecular causes for noninfectious cancers. ■
