Congressional Briefing on Sickle Cell Trait
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
United States Capitol Visitor Center, Room HVC-200
Hosted by Congressman Bill Foster
– Lunch will be served –
Sickle cell trait (SCT) is not a mild form of sickle cell disease (SCD). Having SCT simply means that a person carries a single gene for SCD and can pass this gene along to their children. People with SCT usually do not have any of the symptoms of SCD and live a normal life.
SCT is more common among people whose ancestors come from Africa, the Mediterranean region, Middle East, and South Asia, but anyone can have SCT.
This briefing will present a general overview about trait; the importance of knowing your status and what it means to have trait, the current state of SCT research, and a personal story of one family’s journey with trait.
Program:
• Welcome, Introductions and Sickle Cell Trait 101: What You Need to Know
Alexis Thompson, MD, MPH, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University; President, American Society of Hematology
• A Family’s Perspective on Sickle Cell Trait
Derek Robertson, MBA, JD, and Shanta Robertson, MA
• The Current State of Sickle Cell Trait
Rakhi Prakash Naik, MD, MHS, Johns Hopkins Medicine
To RSVP: Please email FCurry@hematology.org
Cosponsored by: American Society of Hematology and Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc.
