Harald zur Hausen, Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, and Luc Montagnier receive 2008 Nobel for their work on HPV and HIV

This year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine will be shared by three researchers who identified two viruses that have had crucial impacts on human health. Harald zur Hausen of the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg will be honored for his work in the 1970s identifying the human papilloma viruses and their role in cervical cancer. Francoise Barre-Sinoussi of the Institut Pasteur, and Luc Montagnier, co-founder of the World Foundation for AIDS Research and Prevention, will share the

Written byAlla Katsnelson
| 1 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
Share
This year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine will be shared by three researchers who identified two viruses that have had crucial impacts on human health. Harald zur Hausen of the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg will be honored for his work in the 1970s identifying the human papilloma viruses and their role in cervical cancer. Francoise Barre-Sinoussi of the Institut Pasteur, and Luc Montagnier, co-founder of the World Foundation for AIDS Research and Prevention, will share the prize for their work in the 1980s identifying HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Check back for further coverage shortly.
Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

Share
Image of a man in a laboratory looking frustrated with his failed experiment.
February 2026

A Stubborn Gene, a Failed Experiment, and a New Path

When experiments refuse to cooperate, you try again and again. For Rafael Najmanovich, the setbacks ultimately pushed him in a new direction.

View this Issue
Human-Relevant In Vitro Models Enable Predictive Drug Discovery

Advancing Drug Discovery with Complex Human In Vitro Models

Stemcell Technologies
Redefining Immunology Through Advanced Technologies

Redefining Immunology Through Advanced Technologies

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance in AAV Manufacturing with Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance in AAV Manufacturing with Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Beckman Coulter logo
Conceptual multicolored vector image of cancer research, depicting various biomedical approaches to cancer therapy

Maximizing Cancer Research Model Systems

bioxcell

Products

Sino Biological Logo

Sino Biological Pioneers Life Sciences Innovation with High-Quality Bioreagents on Inside Business Today with Bill and Guiliana Rancic

Sino Biological Logo

Sino Biological Expands Research Reagent Portfolio to Support Global Nipah Virus Vaccine and Diagnostic Development

Beckman Coulter

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences Partners with Automata to Accelerate AI-Ready Laboratory Automation

Refeyn logo

Refeyn named in the Sunday Times 100 Tech list of the UK’s fastest-growing technology companies