Looking for a cure
ENVISION Magazine, 2005

Radon, tobacco smoke, arsenic, asbestos. These diverse carcinogens all cause lung cancer, but how and why? Tom Hei ‘76 is striving to find out.

“Through hard work and a dash of luck, my goal is to identify a gene or cluster of genes that can provide a successful treatment target for human cancers,” said Hei, professor of radiation oncology and environmental health sciences at Columbia University in New York. Much of his research on intervention and cancer treatment strategies is being funded by the National Institute of Health.

Hei came to UW-Whitewater as a foreign exchange student from Hong Kong in 1974. An honors student, he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in biology and a minor in chemistry. He was an active member in the Chinese Student Association and Beta Beta Beta, the biology honors society. Hei went on to earn degrees in experimental pathology from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

While at UW-Whitewater, Hei met his wife, Monica (Shen) ‘77 who now works as general manager for Vision Textile in New York City. They currently reside in Spring Valley, NY and have a grown daughter, Evelyn. – Melissa DiMotto