“To win the fight against cancer, the key is free research”

Douglas Hanahan, winner of the 28th Pezcoller-AACR Award for Cancer Research, shares his story in an exclusive interview.

“I’ve always believed that you can’t solve a problem unless you first understand it. I wanted to understand how cancer develops and functions. If we understand how cancer works, we can figure out how to disrupt its ‘mechanism’ of reproduction. That’s what I’ve been working on. We started by creating cancer models, and then moved on to studying real biological systems.”

“The attacks on American universities are serious: the United States used to be a beacon for science and hope, and they have contributed greatly to human health. It’s troubling to see this decline in their leadership role, especially in science. I hope a balance can be found between efficiency and preserving a great research system. I hope everything isn’t destroyed.”