Dr Hadiyah-Nicole Green: Pioneering cancer research

Who is she?

Dr Hadiyah-Nicole Green, is an African-American medical physicist, renowned for inventing Laser-Activated Nano-Therapy (LANT), in dedication to make more cost-friendly ways to treat cancer. [1] Initially she had planned to pursue a career in optics, graduating with a bachelor's degree in physics. [2] However, her aunt, Ora Lee Smith, was diagnosed with cancer, whose experience inspired her to seek out alternative methods to cancer treatment without side effects. [3] She founded the Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation in memory of her aunt. [3] Dr Green knew there had to be a better, pain-free approach for treatments, compared to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. [3]

Dr. Nicole-Green [a]

In honour of her many achievements, Dr Green has received many awards including the USA Today Women of the Century, Forbes 50 Champions, Business Insider Top 30 Under 40 in Healthcare etc. [4] These impressive feats alongside her being the second Black woman to earn a physics PhD from the University of Alabama. [2] These highlight the achievements she has accomplished and shown incredible leadership skills throughout her career. Even successfully building up her own non-profit organisation to fund her cause to support affordable and accessible healthcare. The organisation’s mission ‘to change the way cancer is treated and reduce cancer patient suffering’. [4]

What is medical physics?

In this particular branch of physics, it is the application of physical theory, concepts and methods to the field of medicine. [5] Many modern hospitals rely on technology that exploits to harness properties of matter. [5] For example, MRIs, EEGs, cancer treatments etc.

This field rapidly began developing at the end of WWII, after use of X-rays became common to locate shrapnel. Further research and development was made to utilise the use of radiation effectively and safely. Most importantly the invention of computed tomography (CT) in 1972 had a great impact on clinical medicine. Paving the way for future technology, highlighting that physics is also crucial in medicine. [6]

How does cancer occur?

Cancer develops from a range of causes, for example environmental factors, like overexposure to UV light [6] or cigarette smoke [2], contracting a disease, such as HPV or Hepatitis B [3], or inherited mutations to certain genes, for example the BRCA 1 or 2 genes [4]. These can cause either oncogenes to be transcribed more (through decreased DNA methylation or histone modification through increased acetylation/decreased methylation), as DNA is more accessible [5], causing the cell cycle to progress faster, causing rapid cell growth and division [6], or tumour suppressor genes to be transcribed less, as DNA is less accessible (through increased DNA methylation or histone modification through increased methylation/decreased acetylation) [7], causing more unregulated growth and division [8]. This causes a mass of rapidly dividing and growing cells to develop, which resist apoptosis (programmed cell death) [9] and cause angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels to feed this growth) [10], otherwise referred to as a tumour. Although benign tumours are usually harmless, as they can potentially be removed with no lasting effects, malignant tumours which are able to metastasise by tumour cells breaking off from the main tumour body, establishing in other places around the body, are especially harmful, as they can damage a range of organs if allowed to develop, which can be fatal. [11]

Laser activated nanotherapy

Dr Green's revolutionary treatment (laser-activated nanotherapy - LANT) works by injecting nanoparticles - minuscule particles 1nm-100nm in diameter with an extraordinarily large surface area to volume ratio, giving them useful properties - directly into the site of a solid tumour. [12] Nanoparticles by themselves are not able to kill cancerous cells, however when hit with near infrared wavelength radiation, they heat up, killing only the cancerous cells that the nanoparticles have been injected into. [13] Dr Green's research using lasers has also allowed for accurate images of cancerous cells to be created, allowing them to more precisely target these tumours (no matter their size). [14] Her team has also been able to insert nanoparticles into tumours and 'activate' them without causing damage to other healthy cells, by developing platforms that are biomarker specific - 'a biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process' - as the nanoparticles are engineered to seek out molecular markers like antigens and receptors on surfaces of cancer cells, which may have been overproduced by these cells, for example, using gold nanoparticles bonded to antibodies or peptides that are able to bind to receptors found mostly on cancer cells to act as a marker when attached to these receptors. [15][16] This treatment is less invasive than previous cancer therapies, and much less harmful than chemotherapy, which is toxic to normal healthy cells. [17][18]

[b] LANT in treating kidney stones

In 2014, Dr. Green and her team published studies showing that her laser-activated gold nanoparticle technology induced complete tumour regression with clear tumour margins and healed skin in mice over 15 days after a single, 10-minute treatment, without observable side effects, chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery. [19] If this novel treatment translates successfully to humans, it could represent a major shift toward more targeted, less toxic cancer treatment. The treatment has achieved FDA Breakthrough Device Designation, and the foundation states they are prepared to begin human trials within 12 months of raising $10 million. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has also awarded Dr. Green a $1.1 million grant for her research. She founded the Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation in 2016, with the goal of creating a cancer treatment with minimal side effects. She has also committed to making this treatment accessible, setting the foundation up as a non-profit, meaning that this treatment will not be monopolised by any single company, being affordable for patients.

Dr Green's journey from being orphaned at a young age, to being the first in her family to attend university, and eventually being recognised for her pioneering efforts in cancer research and physics as one of only 66 Black women to earn a PhD in physics in the United States between 1973 and 2012, and being the second Black woman - and the fourth Black person ever - to earn a doctoral degree in physics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, is a powerful one. It speaks to the unique strength and power of those from marginalised groups to enact positive change in STEMM, as despite being a physicist in the mainly biological field of cancer treatment research, her unique perspective by approaching the problem as a physicist, rather than a biologist or oncologist, may have led to an effective solution that specialists in the field may have overlooked or dismissed. Her research was driven by something deeply personal - watching her aunt refuse chemotherapy because the side effects she feared more than the disease itself [17][18] - leading to a personal and tangible connection to the issue she is researching. This can lead to a motivation that others in the field may not display, potentially fuelling her desire to make advancements in her field. Her work in promoting women and minorities to pursue STEMM careers is important, creating a multiplier effect, as it allows younger generations to see a real example of what is possible to achieve - making advancements in STEMM which can potentially lead to the elimination of diseases previously thought of as incurable.

References:

1. Sterlitech . Dr. Hadiyah Nicole Green’s Laser-Activated Nano-Therapy Treats Cancer [Internet]. Sterlitech. 2019 [cited 2026 Apr 29]. Available from: https://www.sterlitech.com/blog/post/death-by-nanoparticles:-dr.-greens-novel-approach-to-cancer-treatment?srsltid=AfmBOopr9JJ6QTwsE4nmt7A6VP9nb_T9G63jXp1fMWZer1th-1dJCb4n

2. Levine AG. Physicist to Test Nanoparticle-and-Laser Cancer Treatment in Humans [Internet]. Aps. 2022 [cited 2026 Apr 29]. Available from: https://www.aps.org/apsnews/2022/09/hadiyah-nicole-green-profile 

3. Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation. About | Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation [Internet]. Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation. 2024 [cited 2026 Apr 29]. Available from: https://oralee.org/about/ 

4. Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation. Dr Hadiyah-Nicole Green [Internet]. [cited 2026 Apr 29]. Available from: https://oralee.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dr_Hadiyah_Green_Overview-Media_Kit_032323-1.pdf 

5. University of Nottingham . What is medical physics? - The University of Nottingham [Internet]. University of Nottingham . [cited 2026 Apr 29]. Available from: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/physics/studywithus/undergraduate/what-is-medical-physics.aspx 

6. Endo M. History of medical physics. Radiological Physics and Technology [Internet]. 2021 Nov 2 [cited 2026 Apr 29];14(4):345–57. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34727326/

7. Vechtomova Y, Telegina T, Buglak A, Kritsky M. UV Radiation in DNA Damage and Repair Involving DNA-Photolyases and Cryptochromes. Lim YC, editor. Biomedicines [Internet]. 2021 Oct 28 [cited 2026 Apr 29];9(11):1564. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8615538/ 

8. Holcomb N, Goswami M, Han SG, Clark S, Orren DK, Gairola CG, et al. Exposure of Human Lung Cells to Tobacco Smoke Condensate Inhibits the Nucleotide Excision Repair Pathway. PloS one [Internet]. 2016 Jul 8 [cited 2026 Apr 29];11(7):e0158858. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27391141/ 

9. Damian D. The Role of Viruses in Cellular Transformation and Cancer. Cancer Reports [Internet]. 2025 Feb 10 [cited 2026 Apr 29];8(2). Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11810984/ 

10. Godet I, M. Gilkes D. BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations and treatment strategies for breast cancer. Integrative Cancer Science and Therapeutics [Internet]. 2017 Jul 11 [cited 2026 Apr 29];4(1). Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5505673/ 

11. M E. Epigenetics provides a new generation of oncogenes and tumour-suppressor genes. British Journal of Cancer [Internet]. 2006 Jan 10 [cited 2026 Apr 29];94(2):179–83. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2361113/ 

12. Lee EY, Muller WJ. Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Genes. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology [Internet]. 2010 Aug 10 [cited 2026 Apr 29];2(10):a003236–6. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2944361/ 

13. Mohammad RM, Muqbil I, Lowe L, Yedjou C, Hsu HY, Lin LT, et al. Broad targeting of resistance to apoptosis in cancer. Seminars in Cancer Biology [Internet]. 2015 Dec 1 [cited 2026 Apr 29];35:S78–103. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4720504/ 

14. Lugano R, Ramachandran M, Dimberg A. Tumor angiogenesis: causes, consequences, Challenges and Opportunities. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences [Internet]. 2019 Nov 6 [cited 2026 Apr 29];77(9):1745–70. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7190605/ 

15. Folkman J. Angiogenesis. Developments in Cardiovascular Medicine [Internet]. 1984 [cited 2026 Apr 29];27:412–28. Available from: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4613-2825-4_42 

16. Kumari S, Sharma N, Sahi SV. Advances in Cancer Therapeutics: Conventional Thermal Therapy to Nanotechnology-Based Photothermal Therapy. Sánchez González C, Rivas García L, Llopis J, editors. Pharmaceutics [Internet]. 2021 Jul 30 [cited 2021 Dec 2];13(8):1174. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8398544/

17. Fekrazad R, Naghdi N, Nokhbatolfoghahaei H, Bagheri H. The Combination of Laser Therapy and Metal Nanoparticles in Cancer Treatment Originated From Epithelial Tissues: A Literature Review [Internet]. Nih.gov. 2016 [cited 2026 Apr 29]. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4909014/ 

18. Chinen AB, Guan CM, Ferrer JR, Barnaby SN, Merkel TJ, Mirkin CA. Nanoparticle Probes for the Detection of Cancer Biomarkers, Cells, and Tissues by Fluorescence. Chemical Reviews [Internet]. 2015 Jun 3 [cited 2026 Apr 29];115(19):10530–74. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5457709/ 

19. Riley RS, Day ES. Gold nanoparticle-mediated photothermal therapy: applications and opportunities for multimodal cancer treatment. Wiley interdisciplinary reviews Nanomedicine and nanobiotechnology [Internet]. 2018 Jul 1 [cited 2026 Apr 29];9(4). Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5474189/ 

20. Mohd-Zahid MH, Zulkifli SN, Che Abdullah CA, Lim J, Fakurazi S, Wong KK, et al. Gold nanoparticles conjugated with anti-CD133 monoclonal antibody and 5-fluorouracil chemotherapeutic agent as nanocarriers for cancer cell targeting. RSC Advances [Internet]. 2021 Apr 30 [cited 2026 Apr 29];11(26):16131–41. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9030463/ 

21. Van den Boogaard WMC, Komninos DSJ, Vermeij WP. Chemotherapy Side-Effects: Not All DNA Damage Is Equal. Zubiaga AM, Mitxelena J, editors. Cancers [Internet]. 2022 Jan 26 [cited 2026 Apr 29];14(3):627. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8833520/ 

22. Ronit Juthani, Sachin Punatar, Indraneel Mittra. New light on chemotherapy toxicity and its prevention. BJC Reports [Internet]. 2024 May 22 [cited 2026 Apr 29];2(1). Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11524128/ 

23. Tranekjær Jørgensen J, Norregaard K, Tian P, Martin Bendix P, Kjaer A, Oddershede LB. Single Particle and PET-based Platform for Identifying Optimal Plasmonic Nano-Heaters for Photothermal Cancer Therapy [Internet]. Nih. 2016 [cited 2026 Apr 29]. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4969617/

Image Links

a. https://mdnewsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/09/hadiyah-nicole-green-l-1312x738.png?t=1709150383

b. https://pubs.acs.org/cms/10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c01166/asset/images/large/nl3c01166_0001.jpeg