An image of a vile containing the HPV vaccine. The image also contains the headline to the story: 'Lifesaving legacy'.

Image: triocean/Adobe Stock

Image: triocean/Adobe Stock

It’s been more than 30 years since UQ scientists made the crucial discovery to form the basis of the HPV vaccine. Now, after saving millions of lives around the world from cervical cancer, its inventors are investing in the next generation of researchers to fuel future discoveries.

By Michael Jones


Imagine a world free from cervical cancer. It’s a wonderful thought and could soon become a reality in Australia, with the country on track to be the first to eliminate the cancer by 2035.

This target is possible thanks, in part, to the remarkable success of the UQ-developed vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) – a virus proven to be the leading cause of cervical cancer – and Australia’s world-leading National Cervical Screening Program.

Today, more than 30 years since UQ scientists made the crucial discovery to form the basis of the vaccine in 1991, the incidence of cervical cancer and mortality in Australia has halved. And in the United Kingdom, a study involving women who’d been vaccinated against HPV at age 12 or 13, found that cervical cancer rates were 87 per cent lower than in those unvaccinated.

Co-creator of the UQ HPV vaccine (Gardasil), UQ’s Professor Ian Frazer AC, said ridding the world of cervical cancer by 2035 was a result he’d only dreamed of when he began looking into HPV with fellow co-creator and molecular virologist, the late Dr Jian Zhou (Doctor of Medicine ’94), in 1990.

An image of a doctor about to inject a female patient with the HPV vaccine.

The incidence of cervical cancer and mortality in Australia has halved since the introduction of the HPV vaccine and screening programs. Image: Khunatorn/Adobe Stock

The incidence of cervical cancer and mortality in Australia has halved since the introduction of the HPV vaccine and screening programs. Image: Khunatorn/Adobe Stock

“We didn’t really set out to find a vaccine – we set out to learn how the virus worked,” Professor Frazer said.

“As a by-product of that, we came up with the technology that led to the vaccine. At that time, it was unclear how HPV caused cervical cancer, and it was equally unclear whether the vaccine would be effective.

“As it turned out, the vaccine is extremely effective and it’s a great demonstration of how medical research leads to practical outcomes – not just for one or two individuals, but across the world.

“The HPV vaccine has the potential to save 300,000 lives each year.”

According to Professor Frazer, the impact is even greater than these figures indicate because it’s young women who often die of cervical cancer, leaving bereaved families with young children in their wake.

“Vaccines have been our single-most effective public health measure ever and they remain so, even in times of COVID-19,” he said.

The HPV vaccine (Gardasil 9) protects against around 90 per cent of cervical cancers, and also provides protection against most of the genital cancers in men caused by HPV infection. Additionally, the vaccine protects against 90 per cent of genital warts in both women and men.

More than 270 million HPV vaccine doses have been administered globally.

As part of the commitment to eliminate cervical cancer by 2035, the Australian Government is investing $5.8 million to support the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer to collaboratively develop a National Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy by the end of 2022.

The funding will also support Australia’s largest clinical trial, the Compass Trial, which will produce world-first evidence on the interactions between HPV vaccination and HPV-based screening. The trial will inform improvements to the National Cervical Screening Program to ensure participants continue to receive the right care.

Professor Frazer (pictured) said the government funding was a commitment to ensure that all parts of the cervical cancer prevention program were covered.

“To get the best of out of it, we need to ensure young women and men are vaccinated,” he said.

“We also must make sure there’s effective screening in place for people who might already be infected by the virus, which we are working towards with the cervical screening program.

“It’s equally important that we are developing effective treatment for people who have developed cervical cancer. This is something Australia is already doing very well, but on a global scale, it’s a much bigger challenge.”

To help ensure other parts of the world can one day eliminate the cancer, Professor Frazer said vaccine promotion and improved screening programs were key.

“Most countries are trying to adopt programs, and some can afford it more than others. But even in parts of the developing world, like Africa and South–East Asia, they are managing to get some of the programs out to school-aged girls,” he said.

“We need to encourage healthcare providers to think about cervical cancer management in the early stages. The real problem with cervical cancer management is that by the time people present with symptoms, the disease is already quite advanced. You then need chemotherapy and radiotherapy specialists, who are not readily available in parts of the developing world.

“What we really need to get right is the screening. Screening in Australia is high-tech, but high-tech doesn’t work very well in the developing world. What’s needed is a global screening program that’s effective for economies and healthcare systems in various countries.” 

An image of UQ scientist and HPV vaccine co-creator Professor Ian Frazer.

As the world celebrates the success of the vaccine program, it’s also important to recognise the contribution and legacy of the vaccine’s co-creator Dr Zhou, who passed away in 1999.

Dr Zhou studied medicine and surgery at Wenzhou University in China and met Professor Frazer while working at the University of Cambridge in 1989. Professor Frazer then invited Dr Zhou, and Dr Zhou's wife and research assistant Dr Xiao-Yi Sun, to work at his UQ lab. 

Dr Zhou experimented with assembling two proteins to create a virus-like particle resembling the HPV shell. When introduced into the human body, the particles simulated an immunological response that formed the basis of the vaccine.

A complete patent application on the HPV technology was submitted in 1992.

Dr Zhou was a Lions Principal Research Fellow and Head of the Papillomavirus Virology Unit at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane at the time and had worked in universities around the world as a virologist. A prolific author, he had 40 peer-reviewed publications in top international journals and more than 10 major patents.

Dr Sun said she was honoured that her late husband’s research continues to save millions of lives. However, she said his research was only possible because of his dedication to making up for lost time, as well as the support he received as a young scientist.

An image of Dr Jian Zhou.

Dr Jian Zhou.

Dr Jian Zhou.

“As part of the Cultural Revolution in China [between 1966 and 1976], all universities were closed. I went to the country to work on a farm and Jian went to work in a factory. Once we got a chance to attend university, we both agreed that we had to get that time back and make the most of every second.

“At Cambridge, we had the support to pursue different research areas that interested us, which suited Jian as he always thought outside the box and had a lot of ideas.

“In his mind, he was working on 10 to 20 different projects at once. He was so focused on understanding how the virus worked that he wasn’t looking at what was to happen 30 years later.

“He always said science was about standing on giants’ shoulders. Jian and Ian made a breakthrough, but without other giants paving the way, it would never have happened.”

Dr Zhou’s contribution to the HPV vaccine, and his love of supporting other young scientists, have been honoured through the Dr Jian Zhou Foundation (established by Dr Sun and their son Andreas Zhou), the Dr Jian Zhou Memorial Scholarships, as well as the Jian Zhou Medal.

Scholarships have supported a doctoral student from Dr Zhou’s first alma mater – Wenzhou Medical University – to study at the UQ Diamantina Institute, as well as a researcher at UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience. Other scholarships, endowed through perpetuity, support early career or Higher Degree by Research students.

The Jian Zhou medal, awarded by the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and supported by the Frazer Family Foundation and Dr Jian Zhou Foundation, honours scientists making an impact in translational medical science.

UQ Diamantina Institute immunologist Professor Di Yu was one of two medal recipients in 2021 for his landmark discoveries in revealing the differentiation and functions of T cells in human health and disease. His research has enabled new diagnosis and therapy for autoimmune, allergic and infectious diseases, and improved vaccine efficacy.

Dr Sun said discovering and supporting young talent was one her husband’s favourite things.

“When Jian found young talent, he thought it was so exciting and was eager to encourage and nurture the untapped talent,” she said.

An image of Jian Zhou Medal recipient Professor Di Yu, Jian Zhou Orator Professor Grabielle Belz, Professor Ian Frazer AC and Dr Xiao-Yi Sun at the Jian Zhou Oration in November 2021.

Jian Zhou Medal recipient Professor Di Yu, Jian Zhou Orator Professor Grabielle Belz, Professor Ian Frazer AC and Dr Xiao-Yi Sun at the Jian Zhou Oration in November 2021.

Jian Zhou Medal recipient Professor Di Yu, Jian Zhou Orator Professor Grabielle Belz, Professor Ian Frazer AC and Dr Xiao-Yi Sun at the Jian Zhou Oration in November 2021.

“I have so much respect for our scientists. They work so hard but not all scientists are able to achieve the big breakthrough or publish papers.

“Dr Yu is very passionate, just like Jian. These people are giving so much to science and bringing so much benefit to the world.

“Science is an adventure, and you have to be very brave to join that adventure.”

Adding to the achievements of Dr Yu, fellow UQ scientist Associate Professor Daniel Watterson was last year awarded a CSL Centenary Fellowship of $1.25 million over five years to undertake research that will transform Australia’s response to pandemics.

Associate Professor Watterson is one of the inventors of the molecular clamp technology that holds a virus spike protein in its original form so it can generate an immune response in a vaccine. It was used to develop a potential Australian COVID-19 vaccine in 2020 and is now being refined with the aim of reducing vaccine development time to just a few months.

CSL was an important partner in the licensing of the UQ HPV vaccine, and the Fellowship will help Associate Professor Watterson to identify and manufacture anti-viral antibodies and deliver them to patients using mRNA.

Image: Dr Xiao-Yi Sun with her son Andreas Zhou.

An image of Dr Xiao-Yi Sun with her son Andreas Zhou.

Professor Frazer said this kind of support is what enables Australia to punch well above its weight in the field of medical research.

“In my opinion, Australia – and UQ especially – sits right at the top of the list,” he said.

“We do a really good job, not just at discovery science, but in getting research translated into clinical practice.

“Winning these prestigious awards is great for the individuals, but it also raises awareness of the quality of work that’s being done at UQ.”

However, Professor Frazer said that translational research also relied heavily on the support of the community. He said the support of the UQ community was crucial to keeping Dr Zhou’s memory alive, as well as helping to find life-saving discoveries over the next 30 years.

An image of Professor Ian Frazer with his wife Caroline Frazer.

Professor Ian Frazer with his wife Caroline.

Professor Ian Frazer with his wife Caroline.

“Biomedical research relies substantially on philanthropy. UQ has had a very successful fundraising exercise over the last seven years in the form of the Not If, When campaign, which raised over $600 million,” said Professor Frazer, who with his wife Caroline, co-chaired the campaign and also established the Frazer Family Foundation to further support students and several scholarships at UQ.

“That sort of money is game-changing: it allows young, ambitious scientists to get the support they need to deliver high-quality research.

“Philanthropy builds on the legacy of the people who have done research before. It also encourages more senior people to come to the University and enables the technologies that will be used at the forefront of research.

“But, more importantly, it attracts young people to the University, who really benefit from an education but who couldn’t normally afford it.”


You can support future lifesaving research at UQ

An image of Professor Ian Frazer walking away in the Great Court cloisters at UQ.