December, 2014 | Uyo, Nigeria – There was plenty of Christmas cheer at the Uyo Township Stadium in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria during the run up to last month’s holiday season, where a new record was set for the largest group of carol singers.
Ibom Mass Choir
A 25,272-strong choir took the title after singing a medley of traditional Christmas songs that included The First Noel, Joy To The World, O Christmas Tree, Hark The Herald Sing, Once In Royal Davids City and O Come All Ye Faithful.
The new record beats the previous record set by a choir of 15,674 carol singers known as CENTI in Bogota, Columbia back in December 2013.
January, 2015 | Washington – As head of the Washington University optical radiology laboratory — where researchers study how to use light to improve diagnosis and treatment of disease — Samuel Achilefu heard from surgeons frustrated by the difficulty of removing every remnant of a patient’s cancerous tumor.
Before surgery, imaging tests involving big, high-tech machines can create detailed pictures of a person’s cancer, Achilefu said, “but when a patient is in the operating room, it’s like walking in the dark.”
Achilefu wondered, what if he could take imaging technology and make it wearable like night-vision goggles used in the military so surgeons could see the cancer while they are operating?
The technology would be extremely difficult — some even thought impossible — to miniaturize and make functional and wearable for hours. But after dedicating five years to the project, Achilefu created cancer-visualizing glasses that were successfully used in surgeries for first time last year.
Jost said what makes Achilefu a great scientist is not only his diverse expertise in chemistry, cell biology, biomedical engineering and even genetics, but an intense curiosity that makes him delight in any challenge.
On Wednesday, the Nigerian-born scientist won the prestigious St. Louis Award for 2014 for his work in creating the technology, which could affect the outcomes of cancer patients across the world.
At the awards ceremony, Achilefu, 52, told the crowd his work was driven by the question: What if? “ ‘What if’ is really telling us that we should not be focusing on the problem,” he said, “but the potential solution for it.”
Foster pride
Achilefu is the 87th person to receive the annual award since it was established in1931 — the worst of the depression years — by prominent philanthropist David P. Wohl. The shoe company owner anonymously founded the award to recognize a St. Louis area resident who “performed such a service as to bring greatest honor to the community.” Wohl hoped to foster optimism and pride in the city he loved.
Award committee president David Kemper, chairman and of Commerce Bancshares Inc., praised Achilefu for “putting St. Louis in the spotlight for advancements in optical imaging technology that have pushed the boundaries of cancer treatment.”
Even under high magnification, it’s nearly impossible for surgeons to tell where a cancer tumor ends and healthy tissue begins. To make sure they remove all the cancerous cells, surgeons remove the tumor and neighboring tissue. The samples are sent to a lab and viewed under a microscope. If the surrounding tissue contains cancer cells, a second surgery is performed to remove even more tissue. Among breast cancer patients, about 20 to 25 percent who have cancerous lumps removed require a second surgery.
The glasses were used for the first time during a breast cancer operation on Feb. 10 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and have since been used on more than two dozen people with breast cancer, melanoma or liver cancer.
A commonly used contrast agent is injected into the patient’s tumor. When viewed with near-infared light, the cancerous cells glow blue. Tumors as small as 1 millimeter in diameter (as thick as about 10 sheets of paper) can be detected.
Breast surgeon Dr. Julie Margenthaler is encouraged. “Imagine what it would mean if these glasses eliminated the need for follow-up surgery and the associated pain, inconvenience and anxiety,” she said.
Achilefu started his research into the eyewear using funds from the university and the Department of Defense’s Breast Cancer Research Program. He assembled a team that included engineers and video game specialists to further refine the glasses. After successfully using the technology in rodents, his team received in 2012 a $2.8 million federal grant, paving the way for use in patients. The results will soon be used to seek FDA approval of the device so other surgeons across the country — who have already been calling — can start using it.
High-tech glasses developed by a Washington University group led by Samuel Achilefu, PhD, professor of radiology and biomedical engineering, helps doctors see cancer cells. Photo courtesy of Washington University School of Medicine
Try very hard
In 2001, Gill Jost, former chair of the radiology department, was searching across the country for an optical chemist to lead the laboratory at Washington U. It turned out, the best candidate was in St. Louis. Achilefu had since 1992 been working here for Mallinckrodt Inc., rising in the ranks as a star chemist.
As one of the top five students in Nigeria, Achilefu won a scholarship from the French government to study at the University of Nancy. He excelled and went on to earn his post-doctoral degree at Oxford University.
“I’m fortunate to be at an institution where this is encouraged,” he said, “and to be a part of a community that encourages people to try very, very hard.”
He came to St. Louis at the urging of his mentor, who was hired by Mallinckrodt to start a new research department. Despite being recruited by research institutions across the world, he chose to stay in St. Louis when he made the switch to academia. Married with two young children, Achilefu said he had come to love the city and see it as his home.
Jost said what makes Achilefu a great scientist is not only his diverse expertise in chemistry, cell biology, biomedical engineering and even genetics, but an intense curiosity that makes him delight in any challenge.
Achilefu also fosters that same determination in those who work in his lab. “It’s such a joy to watch how he nurtures people,” Jost said. His team is always pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
Achilefu is also seeking FDA approval for a promising new contrast agent he helped develop. The agent selectively enters cancer cells anywhere in the body and stays there for up to a week, causing all different types of cancer cells to glow the same. The agent could help deliver toxic drugs directly to cancer cells, avoiding healthy cells altogether.
While the St. Louis Award recognizes a significant contribution by the winner, Achilefu said it was more about acknowledging values that can shape the city’s future.
“I’m fortunate to be at an institution where this is encouraged,” he said, “and to be a part of a community that encourages people to try very, very hard.”
POSITIVE NIGERIA 