An exceptional African American woman named Hadiyah-Nicole Green has made history as the first doctor to develop a cancer treatment using laser-activated nanoparticles.
She is also one of the first African-American women to earn a Ph.D. in physics in the United States and the first to successfully develop a cancer treatment in mice using this innovative method.
Orphaned at a young age, Dr. Green was raised by her aunt and extended family. Being the first ever in her family to graduate from university, she overcame significant challenges to pursue higher education.
Her academic journey began at Xavier University of Louisiana, United States, where she attended a summer program in computer science.
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She proceeded to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where she obtained a master’s degree in physics. With her doctorate, she set a record as one of the first African American women in the United States to earn a Ph.D. in physics.
She is also the second African American woman and the fourth African American to receive a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in the United States.
Dr. Green’s research specialized in targeted cancer therapeutics, using laser-activated nanoparticles and immunotherapies to develop biomarker-specific platforms to target, image, and treat malignant tumors.
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Her method consists of using a United States Food and Drug Administration-approved drug containing nanoparticles that are injected into the subject, which causes the cancer tumors to glow when under imaging equipment.
The laser then activates the nanoparticles by heating them, and because it identifies cancer cells during the procedure, healthy cells are not affected. Dr. Green said she grew interested in developing new cancer treatments after her adoptive parents both died of cancer.
After bagging her bachelor’s degree, Dr Green interned at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) where she realized the potential use of lasers in cancer research. She then decided to use her background in lasers to target cancerous cells without hurting healthy cells.
In 2016, Dr. Green founded the Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation, a non-profit foundation in memory of her aunt. The goal of the foundation is to advance cancer treatment so that it is effective with minimal side effects.
The non-profit foundation also aims to make cancer treatment accessible and affordable for all. Dr. Green dedicates much of her spare time to speaking to and mentoring young black students on cancer-related topics.
Dr. Green also works as an assistant professor at the Morehouse School Of Medicine, in the United States.
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