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The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Empowers Research and Better Health Care

Beverley Francis-Gibson is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA), a 49-year-old organization that advocates for people affected by sickle cell conditions. She tells of facilitating discussions between people living with sickle cell disease and pharmaceutical companies to plan clinical trials that are more likely to enroll and retain minority community members. She also talks about education for health care providers and patient communities to strengthen their collaboration. She explains how her organization helps democratize access to clinical trial information using an online search tool that lets anyone find and connect with clinical trials near home.