The Pezcoller Foundation–American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) International Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Cancer Research will be presented to Douglas R. Lowy, MD, and John T. Schiller, PhD, during the AACR Annual Meeting 2026, in San Diego.
Drs. Lowy and Schiller
Dr. Lowy is Principal Deputy Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Chief of the Laboratory of Cellular Oncology at NCI. Dr. Schiller is Deputy Chief of the Laboratory of Cellular Oncology at NCI and Chief of the lab’s Neoplastic Disease Section. Both Drs. Lowy and Schiller are NIH Distinguished Investigators.
Close collaborators for more than 30 years, Drs. Lowy and Schiller developed the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine that protects against cervical cancer and other HPV-induced cancers. In addition to making the key scientific discoveries underpinning the current HPV virus–like particle vaccines that are produced globally by five companies, Drs. Lowy and Schiller showed that the vaccine was effective in animals; developed the serologic assays needed for vaccine development and characterization; identified the vaccine’s salient immune responses; demonstrated its safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy in humans; and determined its in vivo mechanism of action.
The HPV vaccine is the first vaccine developed specifically for cancer prevention. Infection by certain HPV types, especially HPV16 and HPV18, causes nearly all cervical cancers. HPV16 also causes most anal cancers and more than half of all vulvar, vaginal, penile, and oropharyngeal cancers. HPV-induced cancers account for approximately 690,000 cancer diagnoses each year. Of these diagnoses, the majority are for cervical cancer, which leads to an estimated 350,000 deaths worldwide. Vaccination has dramatically reduced cervical cancer incidence in younger women in countries with high HPV vaccine uptake since its introduction 20 years ago, and it is estimated that 1 million future HPV-induced cancers have already been prevented by the current vaccination programs. If further implemented globally, Drs. Lowy and Schiller’s vaccine could prevent nearly all cases of cervical cancer and other HPV-induced cancers.
Drs. Lowy and Schiller, together with their NCI and Costa Rican collaborators, were instrumental in the World Health Organization’s recent recommendation of single-dose vaccination programs, which is expected to further promote global uptake of the vaccines.
“Drs. Lowy and Schiller have transformed the landscape for HPV-induced cancers through their innovative scientific research and unwavering commitment to improving public health,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), CEO of AACR.” “This is a prime example of how cancer research can save lives, as the vaccine has demonstrated since its introduction 20 years ago.” said Enzo Galligioni, MD, President of the Pezcoller Foundation.
The award was established in 1997 to recognize scientists who have made major discoveries in cancer research.
