When Shivani Sud was six years old, a member of her immediate family had surgery to remove a brain tumor. Desperate to help, Sud dragged a stepstool to the kitchen sink, sprinkled soap on a sponge and began washing the dishes. She thought that if she helped around the house it would keep her family safe, her mother recalls, with tears welling in her eyes. The tumor was benign and her family member returned safely from the hospital, but Sud's interest in biology had been sparked.












