TED Talks Daily How do you turn hope into action? A doctor and a public health expert answer | David Fajgenbaum and Celina de Sola
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Sep 26, 2025 
David Fajgenbaum, an immunology researcher who overcame Castleman disease, and Celina de Sola, a public health expert from El Salvador, share insights on transforming hope into actionable change. They discuss their missions to repurpose drugs and address trauma in communities. David's AI-driven approach aims to match existing drugs with new diseases, while Celina highlights the importance of trauma-informed systems in policing. Together, they reveal how to scale impact through local engagement, humility, and the power of productive hope.
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Life Saved By A Repurposed Drug
- David Fajgenbaum nearly died multiple times from Castleman disease and found a repurposed transplant drug that put him into long remission.
- He started testing that existing drug on himself and has been in remission for over 11 years.
Constraints Drive Practical Innovation
- Constraints in resources can force creative solutions like searching existing drugs instead of inventing new ones.
- Many effective medicines already exist but remain mismatched to the patients who could benefit.
Police Training Improved Community Safety
- A police officer trained by Glasswing used self‑regulation tools to support peers and changed police–community interactions.
- That training later scaled into national police cadet programs across three countries.
