Dr. Jian Zhou was the Lions Principal Research Fellow & Head of the Papillomavirus Structure Protein Laboratory at the University of Queensland. Before this, he served as Assistant Professor at Loyola University Medical School, Chicago, USA. He was also a Senior Research Officer at the National Health and Medical Research Council -NHMRC) in the Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research Department of Medicine at the University of Queensland, Australia.
Professional Milestones
Dr. Zhou graduated from Wenzhou Medical College in 1982 with a degree of MBBS and was awarded a master’s degree in Medical Pathology from Zhejiang University in 1984 and a Ph.D. Degree in Medicine from the Pathology Department of Henan Medical University in 1987.
In 1988, he joined the Biochemistry Department of Beijing University as a post-doctoral fellow researching the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). His research papers, written in English, brought him to the prestigious Cancer Research Institute in Cambridge, England, to continue his HPV study as a research fellow. Later, he undertook a sabbatical in the laboratory of Harald Zur Hausen. The latter was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine in 2008 for discovering human papilloma viruses causing cervical cancer.
In 1990, Dr. Zhou joined Prof. Ian Frazer in the Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research laboratory at the University of Queensland, where he got his Medical Doctorate in 1994. He became an assistant professor at Loyola Medical University in Chicago to continue his HPV research while serving in teaching positions for undergraduate and graduate students and supervising Ph.D. students at the Department of Microbiology & Immunology.
In 1996, he became the Lions Principal Research Fellow to chair the HPV Structure Protein Laboratory at the Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research of the University of Queensland.
Dr. Zhou was a well-known speaker, chairperson, and scientific committee member at international conferences. He was also a member of many professional associations, such as the Australian Society for Immunology, the American Society for Microbiology, and the Chicago Virology Association.
Research
Dr. Zhou worked in the field of molecular virology of papillomavirus. His research generated two essential patents, licensed to pharmaceutical companies for producing a papillomavirus vaccine, which led to the development of the cervical cancer vaccine. Dr. Zhou's research contributed to the current knowledge of papillomavirus, and his research was recognized internationally as the breakthrough of 1991 and 1992.
He developed a research interest during his Ph.D. studies to study human papillomavirus (HPV). In 1991, he was the first to create HPV virus-like particles (VLP) using DNA recombination technology and made a remarkable achievement in developing the HPV vaccine. This landmark work was published in "Virology" that year, followed by a patent application for the invention of the HPV vaccine in 1991. From 1992 to 1999, Dr. Zhou was granted approximately twenty (20) research projects and eleven (11) significant patents. Unexpectedly, Dr. Zhou passed away in 1999 and did not live to reap the vaccine's success.
He maintained a close association with Wenzhou Medical University in China to act as a bridge for academic exchange between Australia and China. The foundation in his name continues to identify and support young scientists today.
He served as a reviewer for various medical research grant awarding bodies like the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria and New Zealand Cancer Fund and for international journals such as the Journal of Virology, Virology, Journal of General Virology, Virus Research, Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Cancer Research, and others.
Awards & Recognition:
In recognition of his dedication and research, Dr. Zhou received several awards, such as the Second Scientific Advancement Award from the Chinese Government, the Queensland Cancer Fund Travel Award, the PA Hospital Research Foundation Award, and the Silver Price Chinese national science breakthrough Award. In addition, several initiatives and Awards have been established in his name, including the Jian Zhou Foundation for sponsoring young scientists and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences' Jian Zhou Medal, awarded annually to a rising star of Australian health and medical science. The University of Queensland established an annual Jian Zhou Lecture, and the Queensland government presented the Dr. Jian Zhou Smart State Fellowship for Immunology and Cancer Research grant.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions and pioneering work in the development of the Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine, Dr. Zhou truly deserves the Grand Hamdan International Award in Infectious Diseases for the term 2021-2022
