Events
April 12, 2010
Immortal science story is told
HeLa cells have become a key tool for biomedical research over the last 50 years. Rebecca Skloot’s acclaimed book, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” reveals the story of the cells’ namesake, an African American woman who died from cervical cancer.
In a March 29 lecture, Skloot recalled her first encounter with Morehouse gynecology professor Roland Pattillo. She said Pattillo had “a slow, rumbling laugh that said, Oh child, you have no idea what you’re getting into.”
Pattillo, who put her in touch with Lacks’ family years before, was in the audience.
