Dr. Christal Sohl discusses her cutting-edge research on cancer metabolism using easily understood imagery and metaphors, while sharing the personal stories that inspire her and other scientists to fight cancer with urgency and determination. Dr. Christal Sohl first fell in love with scientific research as an undergraduate at the University of Oklahoma, where she helped synthesize chemical models of pollution-damaged heme. She then obtained her PhD in Biochemistry at Vanderbilt University where she studied the molecular mechanisms of a class of drug metabolizing enzymes called P450s. A postdoctoral fellowship brought Dr. Sohl to the Department of Pharmacology at Yale University where she explored treatment strategies against HIV and cancer. In 2015, she joined the faculty in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at San Diego State University, where she is currently an Assistant Professor. Prof. Sohl leads a bright and diverse team of “Sohlmates” who are exploring how metabolic enzymes become altered to drive tumor development and growth. By understanding how enzymes go "rogue" in cancer, we can establish the mechanisms behind tumor formation and identify new drug targets to combat this complex disease. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx