Illustration of the German virologist Harald zur Hausen (1936-2023). Zur Hausen studied medicine, qualifying as a physician in 1962, but chose to pursue virology as a career. He is best known for his work on the human papilloma virus (HPV). He discovered that HPV6 was the cause of genital warts and that HPV16 and HPV18 were present in cervical cancers. His claim, in the 1980s, that HPV was the cause of the cancers was not accepted at the time, although he was later proven correct. His work led to the HPV vaccine to protect women against cervical cancer. Zur Hause received the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on HPV. It was shared with Francoise Barre-Sinoussi and Francoise Barre-Sinoussi for their work on HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).