Tory Minus

Tory Minus is the 45-year-old mother of 4, former non-profit Executive Director, former magazine editor of Alabama Living. Tory was heavily involved in medical research advocacy for several years, and because of personal events involving family illness (her sister's battle with cancer, and her personal diagnosis with Polycystic Kidney Disease in 2010), Tory saw that while significant progress has been made for some clinical research, there is a tremendous lack of funding and education for regenerative medicine across the state.

In 2010, Tory completed her first young adult novel at 75,000 words and began submitting the material to literary agents for representation. Meanwhile, after working closely with a family friend and spinal cord injury patient TJ Atchison -- first participant in Geron's stem cell clinical trial -- Tory agreed to help TJ document his experience of being involved in this landmark procedure. Since that time, she has compiled comprehensive amounts of research, conducted hours upon hours of relevant interviews, and learned more about Human Embryonic Stem Cell research than anyone would care to know.

Through her research, she has followed in her father's footsteps -- a legendary and respected local politician -- and integrated herself into many advocacy groups and political offices. By May 2012, her instrumental role in organizing efforts to pass "TJ's Law" in her state for spinal cord injury research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), it was clear that scientists from across the state were not being encouraged to include progressive stem cell approaches like hESC for example in their research. After meeting with patient advocates, political leaders, and researchers from other states that supported regenerative medicine, she realized more could be done to help move science forward and put Alabama on the map as leaders in the field.

In November 2012, Tory gained the support of close family and friends to launch the Alabama Institute of Medicine (AIM). AIM is proud to report that over $1 Million has been donated to AIM research projects with one spin off company established. Tory has also completed a book about her amazing journey, Inevitable Collision, which debuted September 10, 2014.