Women’s History Month: Dr. Yvette Francis-McBarnette

This #WomensHistoryMonth, we are highlighting prominent women who have made lasting contributions to the SCD community. #WomenInMedicine #WomensHistoryMonth 

Meet Dr. Yvette Francis-McBarnette, a Jamaican-born physician who specialized in treating children with sickle cell anemia. As one of the first Black women to graduate from the Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Francis-McBarnette was credited with successfully using antibiotics to treat children with sickle cell anemia 15 years before the effectiveness of those drugs were confirmed. Dr. Francis-McBarnette was also part of the White House advisory committee which made recommendations that led to the 1972 National Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act. Her contributions continue to inspire and impact the sickle cell community today.