The Immortal Live of Henrietta Lacks CoverReason Why Henrietta's Cells Were So PreciousCell Image
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Welcome to the website for One Book One Northwestern 2011-2012. This year’s book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization, and more. Reading and talking about her incredible story is a great way to ponder the collision between ethics, race, and medicine; of scientific discovery and faith healing.

Read. Reflect. Explore.

The Use and Abuse of Race in Medicine and Health Studies

Thursday, May 17, 20124- 5:30 pm - Harris Hall, Room L07

Posted on May 15, 2012


A conversation with NU Professor Dorothy Roberts and Princeton Professor Keith Wailoo

Moderated by NU Professor Mary Pattillo 

Posted on April 18, 2012

Ethical Issues of Bringing Pharmaceuticals to the Marketplace

Thursday, May 3, at 4:00
Northwestern Room, Norris Center, 1999 Campus Drive
RSVP: onebook@northwestern.edu

Ethical Dilemmas in Scientific and Medical Research 

KARLA HOLLOWAY, Professor of English at Duke University
DOROTHY ROBERTS, Professor of Law at Northwestern University
BANU SUBRAMANIAM, Associate Professor of Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies at University of Massachusetts – Amherst
TOD CHAMBERS, Moderator, Director of the Medical Humanities & Bioethics Program at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine
Wednesday, April 11 at 4 P.M.
Louis Room, Norris University Center
1999 Campus Drive, Evanston

Posted on February 2, 2012 

Dr. Roland Pattillo:History of HeLa Cell use in Biomedical Research.

Dr. Roland Pattillo was one of George Gey’s students at John Hopkins University. Gey was the researcher who was able to grow cells taken during a biopsy when Henrietta Lacks was being treated for cervical cancer. These cultured cells gave rise to the HeLa cell line. Currently, Pattillo is a practicing physician and Professor of Gynecology at Morehouse School of Medicine. When Pattillo came to Morehouse in 1995, he organized a women’s health conference in honor of Lacks and invited members of the Lacks family to Atlanta to speak. The HeLa Conference just celebrated its 16th year.Refreshments will be served. 

Posted by One Book on January 10, 2012 

Meet our Fellows

Katie Bradford Corrine Chin Katie Bradford

Matthew Pilecki

Arianna Wise
Katie Bradford Corinne Chin Emily Gao Matthew Pilecki  Arianna Wise

One Book Administration

Linda Hicke
Linda Hicke
2011-12 One Book One Northwestern Chair              
Professor of Molecular Biosciences
Associate Vice President for Research 
Nancy Cunniff
Nancy Cunniff
Project Coordinator
One Book One Northwestern 

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