Rebecca Skloot is an American author of science and medical nonfiction. She was born on September 19, 1972 in Springfield, Illinois to Floyd Skloot, a poet and essayist, and Betsy McCarthy, a professional knitter and author. Skloot graduated from the Metropolitan Learning Center in Portland, Oregon, and first attended college at Portland Community College. It was during a biology class at the college that Skloot first heard of Henrietta Lacks, the titular character of her first and bestselling work, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
While at Portland Community College Skloot also became a veterinary technician and worked in animal shelters, private practices, veterinary schools, and...
