Eva Vertes and her research on Cancer

Eva Vertes - Microbiology Prodigy

When thinking about cancer, Eva Vertes dares to be different. The Princeton undergrad -- only 19 when she gave this talk -- is asking new, important questions about cancer (could it be caused by the body's own repair system going awry?), using cutting-edge techniques and classic critical thinking to pursue a cure. In her inspiring talk, she shares her own story of the people in her life who inspired her to devote her life to medicine.

Why you should listen to her:

Eva Vertes may not yet have the answers she needs to cure cancer, but she's asking some important -- and radical questions: If smoking can cause lung cancer, and drinking can cause liver cancer, is it possible that cancer is a direct result of injury? If so, could cancer be caused by the body's own repair system going awry?

She asks this and other breathtaking questions in her conference-closing 2005 talk- click here. Her approach marks an important shift in scientific thinking, looking in brand-new places for cancer's cause -- and its cure. Her ultimate goal, which even she calls far-fetched, is to fight cancer with cancer.

"Vertes and her colleagues are gifted researchers who realize that stem cells hold an infinite amount of possibility within their amazingly small frames. Unlocking their potential will produce cures that could end the suffering of hundreds of millions of afflicted people."
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