Sickle Cell Disease Association of America will hold the eighth annual Walk with the Stars fundraiser, where participating teams and individuals can track their walk, run, dance or movement steps while raising funds to support the association in preventing the complications of sickle cell disease through awareness, education, advocacy and research.
Walk with the Stars will kick off May 22 at 10 a.m. with a Facebook Live event and culminate in a virtual Walk with the Stars celebration July 10 from 9 to 11 a.m., recognizing participants’ steps and success.
“Join family members, loved ones, friends and co-workers for Walk with the Stars to help support a universal cure for sickle cell disease,” said Beverley Francis-Gibson, president and CEO of Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. “Walking, running and moving for Walk with the Stars not only benefit participants but will change the lives of those affected by sickle cell disease. Together we can break the sickle cycle.”
Sickle Cell Disease Association of America has raised a total of over $500,000 through Walk with the Stars to support better treatments and improvements in the quality of health for individuals, families and communities affected by sickle cell disease.
To learn more and register for Walk with the Stars, visit bit.ly/SCDAAwalk2021. Sponsorships are available by emailing bfrancis-gibson@sicklecelldisease.org.  

GlobalBlood Therapeutics, Inc. (GBT) (NASDAQ: GBT) and the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. (SCDAA) announced that they will host the 8th Annual Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Therapeutics Conference on Tuesday, September 10, 2019, at The Westin Washington, D.C. U.S. Representative Robin Kelly, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, will deliver the keynote address.
Taking place during National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, the SCD Therapeutics Conference will highlight the latest medical advances and future trends in the treatment of patients with SCD. In addition to Rep. Kelly’s keynote address, the program will feature panel discussions and presentations from leading physicians, patient advocates and healthcare policymakers on a range of issues and topics, including the impact of SCD on the brain and cognitive function and hot topics in SCD from the perspective of patients and caregivers. The Conference will also feature updates from the American Society of Hematology Research Collaborative’s SCD Clinical Trials Network and the Sickle Cell Community Consortium, as well as presentations from biopharmaceutical industry leaders.
“We are honored to host, in partnership with the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, the annual SCD Therapeutics Conference for the third year in a row, as it will bring together patient advocates, opinion leaders and clinical experts,” said Ted W. Love, M.D., president and chief executive officer of GBT. “Support and collaboration across the broader community is essential as we work together to try to fundamentally transform how SCD is treated. We are optimistic that this year’s Conference will spur important discussions as we continue to pursue our shared mission of making a meaningful difference in the future of SCD care.”
“As co-hosts of the annual SCD Therapeutics Conference, we are thrilled to help advance meaningful discussions aimed at understanding and addressing the needs of the SCD community,” said Beverley Francis-Gibson, B.A., M.A., president and chief executive officer of SCDAA. “It is necessary that we continue to learn and grow based on the latest advancements that will be discussed at the Conference, in addition to understanding future issues and trends for treating patients with SCD.”
The 8th Annual SCD Therapeutics Conference will feature the following speakers and panelists:

• Biree Andemariam, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut
• Lakiea Bailey, Ph.D., Founder, Sickle Cell Community Consortium
• Velvet Brown-Watts, Founder-Chairperson, Supporters of Families with Sickle Cell Disease
• Chuck Chesson, Ph.D., Director, Sickle Cell Disease Clinical Trials Network
• Jew-EL Darbone, Sickle Cell Patient Advocate
• Jeremie Estepp, M.D., Medical Director, Clinical Translation Program in Hematology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
• Beverley Francis-Gibson, B.A., M.A., President and Chief Executive Officer, SCDAA
• André Harris, CHW, Sickle Cell Patient Advocate
• The Honorable Robin Kelly, Chair, Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, United States House of Representatives
• Allison King, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy, Pediatrics, Medicine, Surgery (Prevention and Control) and Education,
• Washington University School of Medicine
• Hertz Nazaire, Sickle Cell Patient Advocate
  Additionally, multiple companies that are developing treatments for patients with SCD will present at the Conference. They include Addmedica, CRISPR Therapeutics/Vertex, Cyclerion, Emmaus Life Sciences, GBT, Imara and Sanofi. To ensure that those who are unable to attend the Conference can benefit from the presentations and information sharing, GBT is collaborating with Sickle Cell Warriors, an SCD community organization, to livestream from the Conference on the organization’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SickleCellWarriors. Following the event, GBT will post videos on its corporate YouTube channel. For more information about the Conference or to register to attend, visit http://www.scdconference.com.