Rare tumours and childhood cancer are the topics of this year's Swiss Bridge Award. The following three scientists will be granted the award sum totalling 500,000 francs for their excellent work in the area of basic cancer research: Professor Jürg Schwaller of the University of Basel, Professor Shai Izraeli of the Sheba Medical Center in Israel and Professor Monika Hegi of the University Hospital Lausanne. The award ceremony is being held today in Zurich.

Since 2000, the Swiss Bridge has been awarding 500,000 francs annually with their research award. Three scientists are recognized for their outstanding research work in the fight against cancer.The president of the Scientific Committee, Professor Gordon McVie of the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, will present the Swiss Bridge Award in Zurich.

The money allows the award winners to realize their innovative research projects and is split up as follows: Professor Jürg Schwaller, MD, Department of Biomedicine of the University Hospital Basel: 175,000 francs; Professor Shai Izraeli, MD, Department of Pediatric Hemato-Oncology and Cancer Research Center, Sheba Medical Center in Israel: 150,000 francs; Professor Monika Hegi, PhD, Director of the Laboratory of Brain Tumor Biology and Genetics, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University Hospital Lausanne (CHUV): 175,000 francs.

In total, 30 letters of intent were submitted by research scientists working at academic institutions and cancer research institutes in Europe. This year, researchers with projects focusing on rare tumours or childhood cancers were eligible for application. Rare tumours are defined as those which affect less than 6 of 100,000 persons per year.

The Scientific Committee, comprised of international experts, evaluated the letters of intent submitted and selected six applicants to be invited to submit a detailed project description. Out of these six selected projects, the three aforementioned were finally nominated for the award. The Scientific Office of the Swiss Cancer League was again responsible for the operational management including the call for proposals and the coordination of the evaluation process.

picture shows (from left):

Yehudit Birger (team of Shai Izraeli)

Gordon McVie (chairman of scientific board)

Vaya Stavropoulou (team of Jurg Schwaller)

Giorgio Noseda (president board of SWISS BRIDGE)

Monika Hegi

Heinz Waech (managing director SWISS BRIDGE)

Source: Swiss Bridge