'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' by Rebecca Skloot is a 'Must-Read,' Per Melissa Soliz of Coppersmith Brockelman PLC

Melissa A. Soliz, J.D., of Coppersmith Brockelman PLC is one of 12 winners in this year's Emerging Leaders in Healthcare feature. In an interview with MHE, Soliz recommends the book, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot to those in healthcare because "it is a compelling portrayal of how the law, ethics, ownership and business interests, and health inequities impact patient care and the advancement of that care from a generational perspective."

The book is about Henrietta Lacks, a Black mother of five children, who died in her early 30s of cervical cancer. The cells from her tumor were taken without her knowledge to develop the HeLa cell line that has been used in countless scientific research studies. Her story influenced the establishment of the Common Rule for federally funded human subjects research, including requirements for obtaining informed consent.