Singapore, Nov 13, 2008: The 2006 Australian of the Year, Professor Ian Frazer, will receive the Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research in recognition of his work that contributed to the development of the world’s first cervical cancer vaccines.

 

The Governor of Victoria, Professor David de Kretser AC will present Professor Frazer with the Medal that carries an award of $32,125 (A$50,000) at the annual Ramaciotti Awards ceremony to be held tonight in Melbourne.

 

“Professor Ian Frazer has dedicated his life to eradicating the global impact of cervical cancer. On behalf of the Ramaciotti Foundations we are excited to be able to continue to support the ground-breaking work that led to the development of the cervical cancer vaccines,” said David Knowles, Head of Perpetual’s Philanthropic Services.

 

The award of $32,125 will assist the next stage of Professor Frazer’s work as he looks to develop better delivery methods for the vaccines, particularly in developing countries.

 

“I am honored to receive this recognition of my work from the Ramaciotti Foundations,” said Professor Ian Frazer. “But what it really means for us is more money to help with the research program, where we are now trying to develop better strategies for delivering the vaccines in order to make a real impact on the global prevalence of this devastating disease.”

 

Cervical cancer is a global health problem that affects women of all ages. It currently accounts for the death of more than a quarter of a million women each year, the majority of whom are in the developing world.

 

The Ramaciotti Foundations, a major private contributor to medical research in Australia that has distributed more than $45 million to biomedical research since its establishment in 1970, played a significant role in the development of the Gardasil vaccine.

 

“The initial funding I received from the Ramaciotti Foundations in the late 1980s and early 1990s came at exactly the right time as we were just getting the vaccine project off the ground - it helped us to buy the equipment necessary to get the work done.

 

“The Ramaciotti funding was special in that it tends to be given for new investigators getting something off the ground when it’s exciting, and that’s exactly how it was for us,” said Prof. Frazer.