HeLa at 70: on honouring the legacy of Henrietta Lacks

Abstract

The 4th of october 2021 signified 70 years since the untimely death of Henrietta Lacks, a daughter, wife and mother. On the same day, the University of Bristol unveiled a statue of Henrietta that sits in the heart of its campus in Royal Fort Gardens, by local artist Helen Wilson-Roe. The unveiling came amidst a year of celebratory events for the legacy of a woman whose contribution to science is, in many ways, unrivalled. To many cell biologists, Henrietta Lacks is a household name; however, to the general public her name remains largely unknown. So, who is Henrietta Lacks? And why are the Lacks family and their family-led HELA100 initiative working in collaboration with the University of Bristol to honour her legacy?