Ian Frazer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ian Hector Frazer
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| Born | 6 January 1953 Glasgow, Scotland
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| Nationality | Australian, British |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh (BSc), (M.B.B.S.); Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research; University of Melbourne (M.D.) |
| Known for | HPV vaccine creation |
| Awards | Australian of the Year (2006), Prime Minister's Prize for Science (2008), Australian Living Treasure (2012), Companion of the Order of Australia (2012) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Immunology |
| Institutions | Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland |
Ian Hector Frazer AC (born 6 January 1953) is a scientist from Scotland who later became an Australian citizen. He is known for his amazing work in immunology, which is the study of the body's immune system. Dr. Frazer, along with his research partner Jian Zhou, created the basic idea for the HPV vaccine. This vaccine helps protect people from cervical cancer, a type of cancer that affects women. He was also the first CEO and Director of Research at the Translational Research Institute (Australia).
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Early Life and Education
Ian Frazer was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1953. His parents were both medical scientists, so he grew up surrounded by science. This inspired him to become a scientist too.
He went to a private school called Robert Gordon's College. Even though he was interested in physics, he decided to study medicine because there were more chances to do research in that field. He studied at the University of Edinburgh, where he earned two degrees in 1974 and 1977. While studying, he met his wife, Caroline, and they got married in 1976.
In 1980, Dr. Frazer moved to Melbourne, Australia. He was invited to join the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research to study how viruses affect the immune system. In 1981, he made an important discovery: a problem with the immune system found in some people in San Francisco was also present in men he was studying for hepatitis B. By 1984, he helped confirm that HIV was causing this immune problem.
In 1985, he moved to the University of Queensland to start his own research lab. Here, he continued to study HPV (Human Papillomavirus) and also helped with HIV research. He also taught at the university and helped with medical tests for a hospital. In 1988, he earned his Doctor of Medicine degree.
Creating the HPV Vaccine
In 1989, Dr. Frazer met a virologist named Jian Zhou. A virologist is a scientist who studies viruses. They both wanted to find a way to create a vaccine for HPV. This was a big challenge because HPV is a virus that cannot be grown easily in a lab without living tissue.
Dr. Frazer convinced Jian Zhou to join him in Australia. In 1990, they started using molecular biology to create tiny particles that looked like the HPV virus. These particles were called "virus-like particles" (VLPs). In March 1991, Jian Zhou's wife and fellow researcher, Xiao-Yi Sun, successfully put two proteins together to form a VLP. This VLP looked just like the outer shell of the HPV virus, but it was harmless. This was the key breakthrough for the HPV vaccine!
The vaccine they developed helps protect people from four types of HPV that cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases. Cervical cancer sadly kills around 250,000 women every year. Dr. Frazer and Jian Zhou quickly filed for a patent in June 1991 to protect their invention. To get money for testing the vaccine in people, parts of their patent were sold to medical companies like CSL and Merck.
In 1998, Dr. Frazer completed the first tests of the vaccine, called Gardasil, in humans. Around this time, he also became an Australian citizen.
Awards and Recognition
In 2006, the HPV vaccine was approved for use in Australia and the United States. Dr. Frazer's studies showed that the vaccine was 100% effective in protecting women who had not been exposed to HPV before.
Because of his amazing work, Ian Frazer received many honors. In 2006, he was named Queenslander of the Year and then Australian of the Year. He has received more than twenty awards for his scientific achievements, including:
- 2003: Centenary Medal for his work in cancer research
- 2005: CSIRO Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science
- 2006: William B. Coley Award
- 2008: Prime Minister's Prize for Science
- 2008: Balzan Prize for Preventive Medicine
- 2011: Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
- 2012: Named a National Living Treasure by the National Trust of Australia (NSW).
- 2012: Received the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), which is a very high honor, for his leadership in discovering the HPV vaccine and helping prevent cervical cancer.
Current Work and Research
Dr. Frazer continues to be a very active scientist. From 2011 to 2015, he was the CEO and Director of Research at the Translational Research Institute (Australia). This institute works to turn scientific discoveries into real-world health solutions.
He is currently researching new vaccines, including one for genital herpes which has already passed safety tests in humans. He is also working on a vaccine for hepatitis C and exploring ways to use his VLP technology for vaccines against dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis. Dr. Frazer even believes that an HIV vaccine could be available by 2028. He is also overseeing trials for the first vaccine against a type of skin cancer called Squamous cancer.
Dr. Frazer also teaches immunology to university students. He is the president of the Cancer Council Australia and advises important organizations like the WHO and the Gates Foundation on HPV vaccines. He also works with many pharmaceutical companies to help develop new medicines and vaccines.
Personal Life
Ian Frazer lives in Brisbane, Australia with his wife, Caroline. As of 2010, two of his sons were studying to become doctors, and his third son was a veterinary scientist, showing that the love for science runs in the family!
Images for kids
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Dr. Ian Frazer, a leading immunologist.
