What is the Sjöberg Prize?
Based on a donation from the late businessman Bengt Sjöberg, the Sjöberg Prize is awarded annually to researchers who have made a major contribution to our understanding of the mechanisms, risks, treatment or prevention of cancer. Winners receive $1 million, of which $100,000 is a personal award and the remainder is a grant for further research.
Who are the 2018 winners?
Zhu Chen, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
“This prize means not only the glory, but even more importantly a responsibility, a responsibility for me, my team and our collaborators to continue efforts in the understanding of disease mechanisms of other types of haematological malignancies and to develop innovative, effective therapeutic strategies against those diseases through collaboration with other partners,”
Anne Dejean, Institut Pasteur and Inserm, Paris, France (EACR member)
“This is a wonderful recognition of our contribution to the understanding of the molecular and cellular basis for a severe form of leukaemia and its effective cure, which will foster the future development of highly effective oncogene-targeted therapies founded on similar approaches.”
Hugues de Thé, Collège de France, Paris, France (EACR member)
“This prize also recognizes a certain vision of medicine, shared with Zhu Chen, that is based on curiosity and goes from clinical observations, uncompromising basic science and feedback, to patient care. Freedom to search is one of the founding values of Collège de France, my home institution.”
The research of the scientists above has led to a dramatic increase in the survival rate of patients diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukaemia, from just 25% in 1988 to approximately 90% in 2018. This is due to an effective new personalised treatment based on the element arsenic. The new treatment is the first standard treatment for leukaemia that does not include chemotherapy.
Read more about the award-winning research
Nominations now open for the 2019 Sjöberg Prize
Find out more about the prize an how to make a nomination
Nominations are welcome until 01 May 2018
