The main VinFuture prize of 3 million USD goes to the HPV vaccine authors

From 1,705 nominations from scientists , research organizations and technology businesses worldwide, the VinFuture Prize Council selected four outstanding works to honor.

The main VinFuture 2025 prize worth 3 million USD was awarded to Dr. Douglas R. Lowy, Dr. John T. Schiller, Dr. Aimée R. Kreimer and Professor Maura L. Gillison (USA) for their discoveries and development of HPV vaccines to prevent tumors caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man (center) presents awards to scientists winning the VinFuture 2025 Main Prize.

Dr. Lowy and Dr. Schiller’s groundbreaking work on the human papillomavirus capsid protein led to the development of highly effective HPV vaccines, which have prevented millions of cases of cervical cancer, particularly in developing countries. Dr. Kreimer’s single-dose vaccination regimen, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), has significantly expanded access to vaccines.

In parallel, studies in Professor Gillison and Dr. Kreimer’s epidemiological laboratory have also identified a link between HPV and head and neck cancer, a significant cancer threat that can be reduced by HPV vaccination. Their work has saved, and will continue to save, millions of lives for decades to come.

In addition to the Main Prize, VinFuture 2025 awards three Special Prizes, each worth 500,000 USD, to scientists researching new fields, female scientists, and scientists from developing countries.

The VinFuture 2025 Special Prize for Scientists from Developing Countries honors Professor María Esperanza Martínez-Romero (Mexico) for her advances in research on microbial ecology and symbiotic nitrogen fixation mechanisms in tropical ecosystems.

Professor Nguyen Thuc Quyen - member of the Award Council - presented a special award to Professor María Esperanza Martínez-Romero.

Professor Martínez-Romero discovered and described many new Rhizobium species, contributing to the expansion of understanding of microbial classification and plant-microbe interactions in agriculture, opening up new research directions on plant-bacteria symbiosis, with far-reaching impacts on sustainable agriculture in the context of limited resources.

The VinFuture 2025 Special Prize for Female Scientists was awarded to Professor Mary-Claire King (USA) for her discovery of the BRCA1 gene related to the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, laying the foundation for genetic testing, screening programs and personalized treatment.

Professor Mary-Claire King receives the award from the Chairman of the Prize Council.

The identification of the BRCA1 gene on chromosome 17q21 in 1990 - before the human genome was sequenced - was considered a historic milestone, confirming the genetic nature of cancer risk and changing approaches to prevention and treatment worldwide.

The VinFuture 2025 Special Prize for Scientists Researching New Fields honored five scientists: Professor Venkatesan Sundaresan (USA), Professor Raphaël Mercier (Germany), Dr. Emmanuel Guiderdoni (France), Dr. Imtiyaz Khanday (USA) and Dr. Delphine Mieulet (France) for their innovations in developing hybrid crops capable of self-propagating.

5 scientists won the VinFuture 2025 Special Prize for scientists researching new fields.

Hybrid plants have superior yields to their parent plants, but producing hybrid seeds for rice – the staple food of more than half the world's population – is complex and expensive, making it out of reach for most farmers.

The team has created rice seeds with superior traits identical to the parent plant through self-pollination, based on new insights into developmental biology and genetics, helping to improve yields, reduce seed costs and promote sustainable food security.

After 5 consecutive successful seasons, the VinFuture Prize has become one of the world's most prestigious science and technology awards, with 6,132 nominations from nearly 110 countries and territories on 5 continents, and honoring 48 outstanding scientists.

The works honored – from clean energy, artificial intelligence, biomedical technology to agricultural breakthroughs – are creating profound changes, contributing to improving the quality of life and shaping the future of humanity.

The VinFuture Award Ceremony and Science and Technology Week have also become a familiar connection platform for global knowledge, bringing together scientists, policymakers and business representatives to promote cooperation towards a sustainable, humane and prosperous future.

In particular, after 5 seasons with persistent efforts to connect the world's scientific elite with the Vietnamese scientific community, the VinFuture Foundation and the VinFuture Prize not only create opportunities and motivation for the development of domestic science but also contribute to making Vietnam a trusted destination for world scientists, where creative values are shared and spread strongly for the prosperity of humanity.

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Source: https://vtcnews.vn/giai-thuong-chinh-vinfuture-3-trieu-usd-thuoc-ve-nhom-tac-gia-vaccine-hpv-ar991358.html