Dr. Hanna-Attisha’s powerful book, What the Eyes Don’t See, is a beautifully rendered first-hand account of the signature environmental disaster of our time that has become a timely playbook of resistance, hope, and personal advocacy. A 2018 New York Times 100 Notable Book, the book grapples with our country’s history of environmental injustice while sharing a story of a city on the ropes that came together to fight for justice, self-determination, and the right to build a better world for their—and all of our—children.

It also tells the inspiring personal story of Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha—an immigrant, a doctor, and a scientist—whose family roots in social justice activism helped her take on the Flint water crisis.

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha is a pediatrician, professor, and public health advocate who spearheaded efforts to reveal, publicize, and fix Flint, Michigan’s water crisis. In 2014, a change in the city’s water source resulted in astronomical amounts of lead leaching into the drinking water, causing irreversible damage to Flint’s residents. As a local pediatrician, the poisonous levels of lead in the water terrified Dr. Hanna-Attisha, and she was shocked that the government ignored complaints, protests, and reports from citizens, journalists, and experts. She knew that the only way to stop the lead poisoning would be to present undeniable proof on a national platform.

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha received her bachelor’s and Master of Public Health degrees from the University of Michigan and her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (MSU CHM). She completed her residency at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, where she was chief resident.