Both the aunt and uncle who raised Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green succumbed to cancer. More than a decade later, their deaths continue to serve as a catalyst for the groundbreaking cancer research their niece is leading.
While a physics major in college, Green interned at NASA where she helped calibrate lasers for the International Space Station. That experience informed her decision to make lasers the focus of her graduate studies. Green eventually developed a laser treatment that triggers the destruction of cancer cells in a narrowly targeted area, thereby preserving surrounding healthy cells and tissues. It was after the extraordinary success documented in her work with mice—when almost 100% of the mice that received the laser treatment experienced tumor regression—that Dr. Green launched a foundation to fund human trials. Recognizing the promise of her research, the foundation was awarded a $1.1million grant from the Veterans Affairs Historically Black Colleges and Universities Research Scientist Training Program. Dr. Green continues efforts to raise $10 million needed to complete human trials.
The opportunity to know, support, and applaud the inspired work of Dr. Green is an opportunity to know, support, and applaud the brilliance of Black people. To learn more about the Sister physicist who is well on her way to developing a phenomenal cancer treatment, click here.