Wally R. Smith, MD

Director of the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Program at John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital (JHACH) | Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Wally R. Smith, MD is Florence Neal Cooper Smith Professor of Sickle Cell Disease and Vice Chair for Research of the Division of General Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is active in the American Society of Hematology. He has held over 50 grants, but is best known for his NIH funded Pain in Sickle Cell Epidemiology Study (PiSCES), which led to the first NIH Request for Proposals on the Neurobiology of Pain in SCD, and supported national consensus research definitions of acute and chronic pain in SCD. He was a member of the lnteragency Pain Research Coordinating Committee for DHHS, which published the National Pain Strategy. He sits on the Multi-disciplinary Working Group advising the NIH’s $500 million/year Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative. He was a principal investigator in the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease, the Multicenter Study of Hydroxyurea in Sickle Cell Disease, the Sickle Cell Disease Clinical Research Network, the Sickle Cell Disease Outcomes Research Network, the Health Resources and Services Administration Sickle Cell Treatment Demonstration Program, and the NIH Basic and Translational Research Program in sickle cell disease. Dr. Smith has been associated with the development of two potential remittive agents for sickle cell disease at VCU, and has been a major contributor to several trials of SCD remittive agents either just approved or nearing FDA approval. His latest multicenter NIH-funded trial is SHIP HU, whose goal is to enhance patients’ adherence to hydroxyurea.

TITILOPE A. Fasipe, MD, PhD

Co-Director, Sickle Cell & Thalassemia Program, Texas Children’s Cancer & Hematology Center, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital

Dr. Fasipe is Co-Director of the Texas Children’s Sickle Cell and Thalassemia Program and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in Hematology/Oncology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. She is passionate about public health strategies to curb the psychosocial barriers and health complications of individuals with sickle cell disease. She is actively involved in various sickle cell-focused community and policy efforts aimed at understanding and addressing these challenges.

Dr. Fasipe has been repeatedly appointed to sickle cell-related advisory committees of the Texas Department of State Health Services and currently serves on their Newborn Screening Advisory Committee and chairs the Sickle Cell Task Force. Her professional memberships include: the American Academy of Pediatrics; the Heartland-Southwest Sickle Cell Disease Network; the American Society of Hematology, where she serves on the Quality Measure Oversight Subcommittee, Health Equity Task Force, as well as chairs the Technical Expert Panel for sickle cell disease quality measures; and the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, where she has chaired the Hemoglobinopathy Special Interest Group.

Dr. Fasipe has the unique perspective of relating to and understanding the need for education, community awareness, support, and medical care as she is a pediatric hematologist as well as an individual with sickle cell disease.

Laurence Noisette, MD

Laurence Noisette completed her medical training across a series of diverse settings. She obtained her medical degree at the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra in Dominican Republic, two pediatric residencies at both the Hôpital de l’Université d’Etat d’Haiti, in Haiti and Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in Saint Louis MO in the US and her hematology oncology fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston, SC. Dr Noisette is currently Interim Director of the Sickle Cell Program at Children’s Mercy Kansas City in Missouri and the co-chair of the global issues working group of the sickle cell disease coalition of the American Society of Hematology. Dr Noisette’s training and experience across these various settings have yielded a deep commitment to a career as a translational physician scientist, focused on international health promoting capacity building and sustainability while advocating cultural humility and bi-directional learning.

DR. Eboni Lance

Dr. Eboni Lance is the Co-Director of the Neurology and Neurogenetics Clinic at Kennedy Krieger Institute, neurologist and Medical Director of the Sickle Cell Neurodevelopmental Clinic, and an associate professor in the Department of Neurology and Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.  Dr. Lance received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University and received her medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. She did residency in general pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and additional specialized residency training in neurodevelopmental disabilities at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She received additional research training at Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and has a PhD in clinical investigation from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Lance is board-certified in general pediatrics, neurology with a special qualification in child neurology, and neurodevelopmental disabilities. Dr. Lance’s research interest is in children with sickle cell disease and neurodevelopmental issues, such as ADHD, intellectual disability, and learning disabilities. 

 KENNETH R. BRIDGES, MD

Dr. Kenneth R. Bridges received the MD degree from Harvard Medical School, and subsequently trained in internal medicine and hematology in Boston, at Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s Hospitals, respectively. Following medical subspecialty training, Dr. Bridges studied the biology of cellular iron metabolism for three years at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. He subsequently returned to Harvard, joining the Hematology Division at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, reaching the faculty rank of Associate Professor of Medicine. In parallel with laboratory investigation of iron metabolism, Dr. Bridges worked actively in clinical hematology. Responding to the dearth of coordinated, integrated care for people with sickle cell disease at Harvard, he established the Joint Center for Sickle Cell and Thalassemic Disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, conducting bench-to-patient translational research in a setting of comprehensive patient care. Dr. Bridges expanded his efforts regionally as a member of the HRSA-sponsored New England Regional Genetics Group which developed care and management programs for patients with sickle cell disease and thalassemia in New England. He also worked closely with the Sickle Cell Disease Branch of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, serving on many panels including the Data Safety and Monitoring Board for the pivotal trial of hydroxyurea in babies (Baby HUG). Dr. Bridges has published over 80 peer-reviewed articles, as well as number book chapters. He also co-authored with Dr. Howard Pearson of Yale University a textbook on red cell disorders and anemia. Dr. Bridges left academia to work in biotechnology, initially with Hoffman-La Roche followed by Amgen where he worked on Aranesp and helped launch Nplate for treatment of immune thrombocytopenic purpura. Dr. Bridges then moved to Onyx Pharmaceuticals where he oversaw trials involving Kyprolis (carfilzomib) for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Following the Amgen acquisition of Onyx, Dr. Bridges joined Global Blood Therapeutics as Principal Medical Director & Vice President, External Affairs. He currently holds this position at Pfizer, Inc. following that company’s acquisition of Global Blood Therapeutics. Dr. Bridges also is the current President of the Harvard Medical Alumni Association.

 TONYA MITCHELL, MBA

Ms. Tonya Mitchell earned her Masters in Business Administration and is also a licensed community health worker instructor through the state of Texas.  She has a long career in academic medicine holding leadership roles in hematology-oncology since she believes the best way for her to advocate for sickle cell patients and their families is to have a seat at the organizational table.  She takes her responsibility seriously to be a voice among those who make healthcare decisions/policies.  Ms. Mitchell recognizes the importance of supporting the sickle cell work force which needs experienced and compassionate clinicians and researchers so serves as the Program Coordinator of the EE Just Society.  Ms. Mitchell has vivid childhood memories of her mother being told “if her daughter wasn’t in enough pain to want to go to the ER that she wasn’t really in pain”.  These experiences fed her desire to become more educated about her disease, advocate for herself, and ultimately raise awareness & address systemic barriers for sickle cell patients and families.  She is a proud single mother and grandmother who does not allow sickle cell disease to interrupt her ability to enjoy the beauty of her legacy.