In January, Elizabeth Wayne, a 2005 graduate from MSMS, was selected as one of 14 TED fellows for 2017. According to TED, fellows are selected through a rigorous open application process. TED leadership stated, “We choose Fellows based on remarkable achievement, their strength of character and on their innovative approach to solving the world’s tough problems. Fellows are invited to attend a TED conference, where they meet, exchange ideas and connect with the larger TED community. They also give their own TED Talk – an unprecedented opportunity to disseminate their unique ideas to the world.”
While Dr. Wayne has an impressive list of both personal and professional accomplishments and achievements, it was her innovative research in nanotechnology to control immune cell function to fight cancer growth coupled with her powerful advocacy on behalf of minority women in STEM fields that attracted the attention of TED.
Dr. Wayne received a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Pennsylvania and both her Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering degrees from Cornell University. Currently, she is serving as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
Dr. Wayne’s TED Talk entitled, “The Best Delivery Vehicle Has Already Been Made: Your Immune Cells,” is available online at: https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_wayne_we_can_hack_our_immune_cells_to_fight_cancer
The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science would like to congratulate Dr. Wayne on all her achievements. She is true inspiration to the current generation of MSMS students and a testament to the power of innovative thinking.