Lacks, Henrietta
1920-1951 · Contribution: 1951
Source of the HeLa cell line
Source of the HeLa cell line, the first immortalized human cell line
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1920, Roanoke, Virginia
- Active since
- 1951
- Category
- Science & Medicine
- Best known for
- Her cells became the first immortalized human cell line
Impact on the world
The HeLa cell line became one of the most important tools in the history of biomedicine, while the circumstances of its origin sparked a lasting reckoning over consent, race, and ethics in medical research.
An alternative history
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Sources
- Source lookupFind
Johns Hopkins Medicine (official Henrietta Lacks profile)
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