Meet Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green.

Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green, one of the first African American women to earn a Ph.D. in physics, holds the distinction of being only 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). She humbly served as Miss Alabama A&M University 2002-2003 and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Dr. Green’s career trajectory changed when her aunt and uncle, the only parents she knew, both experienced cancer. After watching them diminish, she has been determined to change the way cancer is treated and to end the suffering of cancer patients. Her professional expertise lies at the intersection of nanotechnology, immunotherapy, and precision medicine. She is currently an assistant professor at Morehouse School of Medicine in the Department of Surgery and the recipient of a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Dr. Green has been highlighted in the media numerous times and has been featured among STEM leaders, influencers, and entrepreneurs by a wide variety of organizations and publications. Notably, Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green developed a cancer treatment that uses lasers and nanotechnology to kill cancer in mice in just 15 days after a single 10-minute treatment with no observable side effects. She founded a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation (OraLee.org), to raise the funding for human clinical trials to ensure that this treatment can be made affordable and accessible for everyone. Dr. Green has intertwined her life’s purpose into the mission of the organization: to change the way cancer is treated and reduce the suffering of cancer patients by providing a treatment that is accessible, affordable, and most importantly, effective.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Dr. Green is currently challenged with raising the funding needed to obtain FDA approval and conduct human trials for the technology she has developed. Dr. Green’s technology has proven effective in human tumors in mice but needs to be translated to human patients. Dr. Green’s technology is ready to go. Her research has been peer-reviewed and published in several scientific journals. She also has the support of oncologists and medical centers who are ready to host clinical trials. The only challenge is funding.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Dr. Green has developed a 4-in-1 platform for early detection, imaging, targeting, and selective treatment of head and neck cancers. Dr. Green’s ultimate goal is to translate these treatments out of the laboratory into humans and demonstrate efficacy in a variety of cancer models, including those in head and neck, breast, colorectal, brain, lung, ovarian, cervical, pancreatic, anal, skin, and prostate cancers. In all, this endeavor could lead to saving some of the 8.8 million people who die each year from cancer worldwide.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Fundraising is hard. Spreading awareness is difficult. Translating messages of concern and pride into donations requires work. A small foundation with proven technology is like a needle in a haystack in comparison to the other cancer charities that raise billions of dollars annually to conduct research and spread awareness.

Contact Info:

• Email: info@oralee.org
• Website: oralee.org
• Instagram: @drhadiyahgreen
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drhadiyahgreen/
• Twitter: @drhadiyahgreen
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DrHadiyahNicoleGreen
• Other: Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation – https://www.facebook.com/oraleeorg and @oraleeorg