Professor of Immunology at Aix Marseille Université, Prof. Éric Vivier was awarded the William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Basic and Tumor Immunology by the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) on 20 October 2026 in New York. This distinction, one of the most prestigious in tumour immunology, recognises more than thirty years of pioneering research into natural killer (NK) cells.
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NK Cells: A New Avenue for Immunotherapy
NK cells are white blood cells belonging to the innate immune system, capable of rapidly detecting and eliminating cancerous cells whilst sparing healthy ones. Prof. Vivier’s work has been instrumental in understanding their development and function, as well as in the discovery of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs).
Whilst most current immunotherapies rely on T cells and benefit only a fraction of patients, his research paves the way for a new generation of treatments mobilising innate immunity, several of which are currently being evaluated in clinical trials.
An Award Honoring the Pioneers of Immunotherapy
Established in 1975, the prize is named after New York surgeon William B. Coley, regarded as the father of cancer immunotherapy. More than 85 researchers have received it, including James P. Allison (2005) and Tasuku Honjo (2014), both recipients of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work on immune checkpoint inhibitors. Prof. Vivier will also deliver the Coley Lecture, "Harnessing NK Cells in Cancer Therapies", on 8 November 2026 at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona.
A Career Rooted in Marseille
A veterinary surgeon graduated from the École nationale vétérinaire d'Alfort with a PhD in immunology, Éric Vivier joined Aix Marseille Université in 1993 as a professor at the Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy (CIML), which he directed from 2008 to 2017 and where he currently leads the "Innate Lymphoid Cells" laboratory. He is also a hospital practitioner at the AP-HM, a professor at the École Polytechnique, and holds the NK Cells Chair at the Gustave Roussy Foundation.
One of four immunologists behind the Marseille-based company Innate Pharma, he is a member of the French National Academy of Medicine and EMBO, a four-time recipient of European Research Council (ERC) grants, and ranks among the world’s most highly cited researchers. In 2025, he was awarded the Fondation ARC Léopold Griffuel International Prize for translational and clinical research.
Article published on Wednesday 21 October 2026.
Photo credit : Z'ART FILMS Production / Agence It Com
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