About The Center For Sickle Cell Disease

History

Dr. Roland B. Scott, a pediatrician and allergy expert, gained international prominence as an authority on sickle cell disease and a champion in the fight against it. Dr. Scott was a driving force behind the Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act of 1971, which established comprehensive research and treatment centers around the country for the disease.

Dr. Scott, who was Chairman of Pediatrics at Howard University in Washington from 1949 to 1973, was trained as an allergist but turned his attention to sickle cell anemia in the 1950's after he noticed a high number of African-American children appearing in the Howard Hospital emergency room with complications of the disease. Through his research, Dr. Scott became a pre-eminent authority on sickle cell disease, a hereditary blood disorder, and lobbied for a national research and treatment effort.

In 1972, with a grant from the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Scott founded the Howard University Center for Sickle Cell Disease. He was the director of the Center until 1990, when he retired. Because of the efforts of Dr. Scott and others, the federal government now spends about $45 million a year on sickle cell disease and sponsors the operation of 10 comprehensive treatment and research centers.

Current Leadership

Victor R. Gordeuk, MD, Director of the Center for Sickle Cell Disease and Professor of Medicine at Howard University, conducts both the clinical and research components of the Center adhering to an overarching goal of improving the quality of life of patients with sickle cell disease. Dr. Gordeuk is an internationally recognized authority on hematology and oncology whose wide-ranging interests include the management of sickle cell disease complications, disorders of iron metabolism, congenital polycythemia and malaria. Oswaldo L. Castro, MD, Senior Advisor and Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Pediatrics, works to ensure clinical and scientific continuity within the Center given his Directorship from 1990 to 2006. Sohail R. Rana, MD, Director and Community Outreach and Education for the Center, plays a highly active role in ensuring the fulfillment of our mission to educate and empower the patients and families in the DC-metro area affected by sickle cell disease. Zakari Y. Aliyu, MD, Director of International Programs, plays a vital role within the Center to work towards applying sound foundations of sickle cell treatment and research to a variety of locations throughout the world.

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