HANOVER, Md. — The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc., a national nonprofit membership organization that advocates for people affected by sickle cell disease, will hold its 53rd annual national convention Wednesday, Oct. 15, through Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois.

The four-day multidisciplinary convention — following the theme “Empowerment: Forging Ahead with Strength and Courage” — will address sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait, drawing hundreds of health care professionals, researchers, patients, families, community-based organizations, leaders and advocates.

“New research and treatment options are ongoing, and the association has been the leading voice in advocating for these advances,” said Regina Hartfield, president and CEO of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc. “The national convention will offer myriad activities designed to educate and motivate the entire community. Together we will examine this historic and pivotal time in the sickle cell space.”

Convention speakers and presentations will include:

• Dr. Julie Kanter, professor of medicine and pediatrics at the University of Alabama’s Birmingham School of Medicine, will deliver the Charles F. Whitten, M.D., Memorial Lecture: “Creating Connection and Practice Harmonization.”

• Dr. Wanda Whitten-Shurney, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist and CEO and medical director of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America – Michigan Chapter, will deliver the Clarice D. Reid, M.D., Lecture: “Celebrating Fifty Years: The Pivotal Impact of Newborn Screening on Sickle Cell Disease.”

• Dr. Salaam Al Kindi, a hematologist/oncologist and professor for the department of hematology at Sultan Qaboos University Muscut Oman, will present “Global Perspectives on Sickle Cell Disease: New Genotypes in the Middle East.”

• Marilyn Baffoe-Bonnie, Ph.D., a medical sociologist and bioethicist and postdoctoral fellow in the department of history and sociology of science at the University of Pennsylvania, will deliver the Kwaku Ohene-Frempong, M.D., Memorial Symposium: “What Cure Leaves Behind: Listening to the Lived Reality of Innovation.”

• Dr. Glen Davis, chief medical officer at Aetna Better Health of Illinois, and Leslie Brady, a senior policy advisor with The Artemis Group, will speak on the national advocacy panel “Navigating Health Care Coverage in 2025.”

Additional convention events include exhibit hall presentations, advocacy lectures, clinical trial updates, educational workshops, medical reports, panel discussions, award presentations, social events and an evening gala. Participants will have the opportunity to connect and interact with health care leaders and professionals and gain new relationships, knowledge and resources.

Pfizer is the legacy sponsor of the national convention, and Vertex is the visionary sponsor. To learn more and register, visit sicklecelldisease.org/get-involved/events/annual-national-convention.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disease causing red blood cells to take a sickle shape, which leads to blockages that prevent blood from reaching parts of the body. As a result, people with sickle cell complications can experience anaemia, jaundice, gallstones, stroke, chronic pain, organ damage and premature death. No universal cure exists.

Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc. advocates for people affected by sickle cell conditions and empowers community-based organizations to maximize quality of life and raise public consciousness while advancing the search for a universal cure. The association and more than 50 member organizations support sickle cell research, public and professional health education and patient and community services. (www.sicklecelldisease.org)

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