Dr Hadiyah-Nicole Green Is The First Doctor To Cure Cancer Using Nanoparticles

Dr Hadiyah-Nicole Green has broken barriers and redefined possibilities in cancer treatment, becoming the first scientist to successfully cure cancer in mice using laser-activated nanoparticles. Her innovative approach targets tumours with precision, offering a potential alternative to chemotherapy and radiation without the debilitating side effects. Her journey, marked by resilience and brilliance, is as inspiring as her scientific achievements.
A Love for Learning Amidst Adversity
Born and raised in Saint Louis, Missouri, Green’s childhood was shaped by tragedy. Orphaned at a young age, she was brought up by her aunt and uncle, who instilled in her a strong sense of determination. As a kindergartener, she showed extraordinary academic promise, helping her brother with his fourth-grade homework. Despite having no scientists in her life, her love for learning became the foundation for her future.
Green attended Alabama A&M University, where a peer’s encouragement led her to study physics. During summers, she gained invaluable experience working at the University of Rochester and NASA, calibrating lasers for the International Space Station. Graduating in 2003 with a flawless 4.0 GPA, Green initially planned to work in fibre optics. However, personal loss redirected her path.
Finding Her Calling in Science
Green’s aunt and uncle both succumbed to cancer, profoundly influencing her career. Her aunt, a powerful matriarch, chose to forgo chemotherapy and radiation due to their devastating side effects. Green served as her primary caregiver during her final months, witnessing the toll cancer took on her loved ones. Her uncle’s death from oesophageal and prostate cancer further strengthened her resolve to create a better treatment.
Motivated by these personal losses, Green used her knowledge of lasers to develop a revolutionary cancer therapy. She approached Dr Sergey Mirov, a leading physicist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who accepted her as a graduate student. There, Green explored cancer treatments involving gold nanoparticles. By injecting these nanoparticles into tumours and activating them with lasers, the technique destroys cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. This targeted approach minimises side effects and represents a groundbreaking shift in oncology.
Groundbreaking Research and Achievements
In 2011, Green demonstrated that nanoparticles could be linked to tumour-specific antibodies in cell cultures. This work earned her a PhD in 2012, making her one of only 76 African American women to receive a doctorate in physics from an American university. Her research continued at Tuskegee University, where she achieved near-total tumour regression in mice with a form of skin cancer using her gold nanoparticle method.
In 2016, Green founded the Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation in memory of her aunt. The foundation’s mission is to make cancer treatment accessible, affordable, and effective by advancing her laser-activated nanoparticle technology to clinical trials. Later that year, she received a £1.1 million grant from the Veterans Affairs Historically Black Colleges and Universities Research Scientist Training Programme to further her work.
A Legacy of Hope and Innovation
Dr Green’s pioneering work offers hope for a future where cancer treatment is both effective and humane. Her story is a testament to resilience, innovation, and the transformative power of science. By bridging personal experience with cutting-edge research, she has opened new doors in the fight against cancer, inspiring generations to dream big and think differently.