Clayton State lecture on ‘Henrietta Lacks Legacy’ set for Thursday

A Morehouse School of Medicine professor who introduced a writer to the family of a woman with “immortal” cells will speak at Clayton State University Thursday at 4 p.m. Dr. Roland A. Pattillo will talk about “Stem Cell Biology and the Henrietta Lacks Legacy.” Henrietta Lacks is the subject of the New York Times-bestselling book,”The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” The book is about a deceased black woman whose cells - known as HeLa cells - were used to develop the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization, and other medical advancements during the past 60 years. Patillo introduced the book’s author Rebecca Skloot to the Lacks family. The book is part of Clayton State’s First-Year Common Reading Program. Patillo, co-founder and chair of the Annual HeLa Women’s Health Conference at Morehouse College, is a major national voice in women’s health. The public is invited to attend the lecture which will be in room B12 of the Clayton State Lecture Hall.