UQ community mourns death of brilliant medical researcher
The University of Queensland's Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research will hold a memorial service on Saturday for a senior medical researcher whose work has helped develop a vaccine currently under trial to prevent cervical cancer.
The memorial service for the late Dr Jian Zhou will be held at 11am in the Queensland Conservatorium of Music Theatre at Southbank, South Brisbane. Dr Zhou died on March 10 in Hangzhou, China after a brief illness.
Dr Zhou, 42, was Lions Principal Research Fellow, and head of the Papillomavirus Virology Unit in the University's Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research (CICR) in the Department of Medicine at Princess Alexandra Hospital.
Dr Zhou's research work focused on human papillomavirus, a virus of considerable medical importance as a major cause of cervical cancer.
CICR director Professor Ian Frazer said Dr Zhou's research had led to several major advances in the understanding of this disease and therefore would improve its treatment.
His studies as a research fellow led to production of a synthetic form of papillomavirus, using recombinant DNA technology, which is currently under trial as a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer: this vaccine if successful could virtually eradicate this common cancer.
His more recent research defined a new mechanism by which gene expression is controlled in skin cells. This work would help to allow gene therapy to become a practical reality for treatment of human disease.
Dr Zhou, who has been associated with the Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research since 1991, had attracted $400,000 in research grants for 1999, not including his Lions Fellowship. He won three National Health and Medical Research Council 1999 grants, currently held two Queensland Cancer Fund grants, three Princess Alexandra Hospital Foundation grants, a Cancer Research Fund grant, and two Mayne Bequest Fund grants.
A prolific author, he wrote 38 peer-reviewed publications from 1982, including 24 since 1993. He was the major author of 19 of the 24. Dr Zhou held two patents as first author.
A bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery graduate of Wenzhou Medical School,China (1982), Dr Zhou was awarded his master of science degree at Zheijiang Medical University, China in 1984 and his PhD at Henan Medical University, China in 1987. He was awarded a higher doctorate, a Doctor of Medicine degree by the University of Queensland in 1994.
His professional appointments included a postdoctoral training fellowship from 1987 to 1988 at Beijing Medical University, China; a research fellowship at the ICRF Tumour Virus Laboratory, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom from 1988; senior research fellowship at the University's Department of Medicine in 1990; and an assistant professorship at Loyola University Medical School in the United States in 1994.
Dr Zhou rejoined the University of Queensland in 1996, first as a Senior Research Fellow, and from this year as Lions Principal Research Fellow.
Professor Frazer said Dr Zhou was a gifted and dedicated scientist, a great colleague and a loyal friend.
"His death has come as a great shock," he said. "He will be greatly missed by the scientific community, both in Brisbane and internationally."
Dr Zhou is survived by his wife Xiao-Yi Sun and son Andy.
The family has requested no flowers, but that donations to the Princess Alexandra Hospital Research Foundation would be preferred and appreciated. Send to Princess Alexandra Hospital Research Foundation, c/o Mr Lloyd Hancock, Ipswich Road, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102 Australia.
Media contact: Professor Frazer, telephone 07 3240 5315.
