"Chirping" on Sickle Cell: A Discussion with bluebird bio and Dr. Anjulika Chawla, M.D., FAAP

In honor of National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, Holland & Knight's Public Policy & Regulation Group is proud to partner with the Black Women's Health Imperative for a four-part podcast series on sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease is a genetic disease that causes red blood cells, which are normally round, to become C-shaped like a sickle. It is a progressive and debilitating disease that can cause pain crises, organ damage and a shortened lifespan, and it disproportionately impacts communities of color, occurring in approximately one in every 365 Black or African American individuals in the United States. This series, co-hosted by Holland & Knight Senior Policy Advisor Shawna Watley and Black Women's Health Initiative Senior Project Manager Alanna Murrell, will offer discussions on sickle cell disease within the Black community, the latest trends and policy affecting those living with the disease and the new technologies, therapies and treatments that are being developed to target its underlying causes. We hope this series proves educational for listeners and sheds light on this important issue. The first episode in this series features a discussion with Sonya Elling and Dr. Anjulika Chawla, M.D., FAAP, of bluebird bio, a Massachusetts-based company focused on developing gene and cell therapies for severe and rare genetic diseases including sickle cell. Dr. Chawla shares her experience working with patients who have sickle cell disease, from her first time encountering someone with sickle cell when she was in med school to her current work at bluebird, and emphasizes the need for greater education and awareness about the disease in both the medical and nonmedical communities. She also talks about the advancements in understanding and treatment of the disease, touches on the issue of long wait times at the ER for patients and explains new treatment and curative options to note.