The Oprah Effect

Working in the College of Medicine’s Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, researcher James Turkson has wowed many with his ground-breaking work fighting cancer — including Oprah Winfrey.

Hailed as a hero by Oprah, Turkson and his wife were invited to attend the talk show host’s most anticipated episode of each season: Oprah’s Ultimate Favorite Things. He was among dozens of special guests from across the country honored for dedicating their lives to helping others without expecting anything in return. Like the other guests, Turkson did not know he would receive special recognition from Oprah.

Turkson and his fellow guests were showered with 24 luxurious gifts for giving of themselves for the betterment of mankind. Among the gifts he was given — a seven-day Caribbean cruise.

The Ghana native spends long days in his laboratory, finding ways to destroy cancer, a disease that claimed his mother when she was only in her 50s.

“Being on Oprah was so shocking and very humbling,” he says. “The attention is very nice, but I do it because it is a calling. I couldn’t help my mother, but I’m trying very hard to save others.”