10 Facts About Elisabeth Targ

Elisabeth Fischer Targ was an American psychiatrist, who specialized in psychic phenomena and the role of spirituality in health and healing.

Elisabeth Targ died of glioblastoma, the same cancer she was studying, on July 13,2002.

Elisabeth Targ was born in New York City on August 4,1961, daughter of Russell and Joan Targ, granddaughter to William Targ, and niece of the chess world champion Bobby Fischer.

Elisabeth Targ graduated from Palo Alto High School at the age of fifteen and enrolled at Stanford University at sixteen.

At Stanford, Elisabeth Targ earned a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree in biological sciences at age 20 in 1982, a second Bachelor of Arts and Science degree in French and English literature in 1982, a Master of Science in biological sciences in 1982, and a medical degree in 1987 at age twenty-five.

Elisabeth Targ is probably best known for a 1998 study that claimed prayer improved outcomes for AIDS patients.

Elisabeth Targ received nearly $1.5M in grant funds from the National Institutes of Health to test the effectiveness of prayer on AIDS and breast cancer patients.

However, in 2002 Wired columnist Po Bronson published an article discussing Elisabeth Targ, and discussing the methods and results of her study.

Elisabeth Targ was diagnosed with and ultimately died from one of the diseases whose treatment she had been studying, the malignant brain tumour glioblastoma multiforme.

Elisabeth Targ underwent surgery which determined that the grade IV glioblastoma was inoperable.