Mary Chapman, features writer —

The former professional rugby player Ade Adebisi, a sickle cell disease patient and advocate, has been named brand ambassador for Sickle Scan, BioMedomics’ rapid disease diagnostic tool. Currently vice chairman and general manager of the Nigeria Rugby League Association, Adebisi will represent what’s touted as the world’s first rapid…

Wide interest in a CBS 60 Minutes story about a Florida woman with sickle cell disease (SCD) whose symptoms were eased through gene therapy has prompted the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to raise awareness of other work the National Institutes of Health…

Emmaus Life Sciences, accompanied by the Emmy Award-winning National Football League (NFL) broadcaster Solomon Wilcots, took its Sideline Sickle Cell campaign to the recent 6th Annual Sickle Cell Disease Patient & Family Educational Symposium that took place in Plano, Texas. Hosted the Sickle Cell Association of Texas…

To lessen the need for hospitalizations and slow or reverse the organ damage seen in sickle cell disease (SCD), scientists at University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) will use a $19.2 million National Institutes of Health grant to test red blood cell exchange transfusion in patients. Co-led by the…

In partnership with community organizations, Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT) is directing a national campaign to raising awareness and understanding of sickle cell disease, including among health professionals focused largely on pain crises, with the goal improving patient care. Called Sickle Cell Speaks, the campaign highlights diverse stories told…

The Sickle Cell Disease Association of Illinois (SCDAI) announced plans to hold its 45th Annual 8K Walk/Jog/Bike-A-Thon on July 20, continuing the group’s longstanding efforts to raise funds and disease awareness. Rain or shine, the event will take place starting at 8 a.m. along the shores of Lake…

Howard University’s 6th Annual World Sickle Cell Awareness Day Symposium has its sights set on a cure for the inherited blood disorder. To be held June 19 — the 10th anniversary of World Sickle Cell Awareness Day — the free meeting is themed “Cure Sickle Cell Now — Patient Engagement.”…

Prominent sickle cell advocate and philathropist Howard Woolley has won a Sickle Cell Outstanding Service Award, presented recently at the 2019 Roland B. Scott Memorial Symposium. Themed “Preparing the next generation of advocates for sickle cell disease healthcare,” the symposium, held at Howard University, featured a…

Novartis‘ Solutions to Empower Patients (STEP) program will fund five nonprofit organizations that address some of the most pressing concerns in the sickle cell disease (SCD) community. Nearly $250,000 will be divided up among patient advocacy organizations and research institutions. Started in 2017, the STEP program funds innovative…

In what’s viewed as a significant step toward addressing unmet needs in California’s sickle cell disease (SCD) community, scientists and policy leaders met recently to discuss proposed legislation, gaps in patient care, and to hear from patients. Called “The Impacts of Sickle Cell Disease in California Legislative Briefing,” the…