A. Bennett (Ben) Jenson, M.D., of the James Graham Brown Cancer Center at the University of Louisville will receive this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award from Texas Christian University. Jenson earned his bachelor’s degree from TCU in 1961 and will receive the award at a ceremony at the end of April.

Jenson, who joined the faculty at UofL in 2002, was part of the team that developed the first vaccine to neutralize certain strains of the human papillomavirus that is 100 percent effective against this major cause of cervical cancer. Since coming to UofL, his work has focused on developing the vaccine in tobacco plants, which would result in a less expensive prevention method. This is critical for developing nations where people cannot afford the original vaccine.

The TCU award was first presented in 1954 and is designated for an alumnus/alumna who has reached national prominence in a particular field, bringing credit to himself/herself and, in turn, bringing credit to TCU.

Jenson is an international leader in the field of cervical cancer research with more than 200 scientific writings on the subject. He is sought internationally as a lecturer and presenter, as well as has been an organizer of international meetings.