Sir Richard Doll awarded prestigious Shaw Prize for his contribution to modern cancer epidemiology

Professor Sir Richard Doll has been awarded the prestigious Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine for his contribution to modern cancer epidemiology.

Sir Richard, former Regius Professor of Medicine and founding Warden of Green College, is widely regarded as the greatest cancer epidemiologist of his time and is perhaps most famous for establishing the causative association between smoking and lung cancer. In 1951 Sir Richard initiated the first major prospective study on death related to smoking and the 50-year results are due to be published in the British Medical Journal on 26 June.

The Shaw Prize was established in 2002 under the auspices of Hong Kong media tycoon Mr Run Run Shaw, to honour scientists, regardless of race, nationality and religious belief, who have achieved a significant breakthrough in academic and scientific research or application, and whose work has resulted in a positive and profound impact on mankind. The Shaw Prize consists of three annual prizes: Astronomy, Life Science and Medicine, and Mathematical Sciences. This will be the first year that the Prize is awarded and each prize bears a monetary award of one million US dollars.

In 1969 Sir Richard became Regius Professor of Medicine, the most senior medical post in the University. He held this position until 1979, when he became the founding Warden of Green College, based at the Radcliffe Observatory. Green College was founded primarily to improve the facilities for graduate clinical students, provide Fellowships and establish College connections for senior NHS and University medical staff, but also to provide facilities and Fellowships for some members of associated faculties. Today, Green College continues to serve the same functions.

On receiving the award, Sir Richard said: 'I was amazed and delighted and also very pleased to find that epidemiological research could be rated so highly.'