Geneticist Angela Christiano was 30 when her hair began to inexplicably fall out. For Christiano, who grew up working in her mother’s beauty salon, hair was a huge part of her identity, and she was devastated. Diagnosed with alopecia areata, a mysterious form of genetic hair loss, Christiano was further dejected to learn that there was no treatment for the disease outside of painful steroid injections into the scalp. And so the young scientist took matters into her own hands, embarking on an unorthodox scientific journey. Her collaborations with epidemiologists and oncologists have led to game-changing discoveries and radical approaches not just for hair loss but also for cancer research, affirming the value of cross-disciplinary research, and providing new hope to millions.
From the Judges
A well-balanced story with science, personal experience, humor and news. Wonderful to read a science article told as a human interest story.
