Award-winning science writer and author of UW-Madison's Go Big Read book ""The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks"" Rebecca Skloot spoke in front of a crowd of approximately 1,000 people at the Kohl Center Monday.
Skloot has appeared in many national publications, including the New York Times and O: The Oprah Magazine, for her acclaimed book, which took Skloot over a decade to write.
The book is Skloot's first ever publication and became a New York Times' Best Seller within its first weeks of publication.
""The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks"" focuses on the life and death of Henrietta Lacks, a poor black woman who died in 1951 from cervical cancer.
Doctors took cell samples of Lacks' tumor tissue to laboratories without her knowledge or consent before she died.
The cells were soon used for medical and scientific breakthroughs. Her cells were unique in that they could reproduce indefinitely, meaning Lakcs could ‘live on' even after she died.
Her immortal cells have been essential through decades of cancer research, AIDS research and the development of the polio vaccine.
The question as to why Henrietta's cells, named HeLa cells to researchers, continuously grow still puzzles doctors and researchers today.
""It was a mystery in 1951 why her cells grew. We must know now, right? We actually really don't,"" Skloot said. ""It's a fascinating part of the story in that her cells grew and then scientists just ran with them and started doing research and they never really looked back.""
Lacks' family was first notified of the research 25 years after her death when researchers wanted to get samples from Henrietta's children to further investigate HeLa cells.
Skloot said the Lacks family was essential to conducting research for her book.
Senior Ashley Jordan said Skloot's research process for the book is moving.
""That she's been puzzling these questions since she was 16 years old is pretty inspiring,"" Jordan said. ""[Her presentation] also makes you see how you can make connections between your own personal feelings about things you come across in life and how you turn that into academic work.""
