Sickle cell disease is a genetic blood disorder affecting red blood cells’ ability to deliver oxygen throughout the body. Unlike healthy red blood cells, which are disc-shaped, those affected by sickle cell disease take on a crescent or “C” shape. They are also sticky, leading to blockages in blood vessels, which can cause severe pain. Other complications from sickle cell disease include anemia, jaundice, stroke, acute chest syndrome (a condition where sickled cells block blood vessels in the lungs) and splenic sequestration (when sickled cells build in the spleen). 

According to the CDC, sickle cell disease affects approximately 100,000 individuals in the U.S., predominantly Black or African American populations. An estimated 1 out of every 365 Black or African American babies born is diagnosed with the condition. For parents who each carry the gene, there is a 25% chance of having a child born with sickle cell disease. Treatment options include a specialized bone marrow transplant developed at Johns Hopkins. 

September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month. Experts from Johns Hopkins Medicine who specialize in sickle cell disease are available to discuss health equity issues related to sickle cell disease. Please contact Cassidy Davis, our designated media contact, if you are interested in covering this issue. 

Sickle Cell Disease Experts

Lydia Pecker, M.C., M.S.H. 

• Director, Young Adult Clinic, Johns Hopkins Sickle Cell Center for Adults 

• Assistant Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 

• Assistant Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 

C. Patrick Carroll, M.D. 

• Director of Psychiatric Services, Johns Hopkins Sickle Cell Center for Adults 

• Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 

Eboni Lance, M.D. 

• Medical Director of the Sickle Cell Neurodevelopmental Clinic, Kennedy Krieger Institute 

• Associate Professor of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 

Liz Prince, D.O. 

• Director of Psychiatric Services, Young Adult Clinic, Johns Hopkins Sickle Cell Center for Adults 

• Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 

Emily Rao, M.D. 

• Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologist, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center 

• Associate Program Director, Pediatric Hematology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 

Adrienne Scott, M.D. 

• Chief, Wilmer Eye Institute – Bel Air 

• Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine