John Tisdale, MD, is a senior investigator and chief of the Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics Branch of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at NIH. Dr. Tisdale’s research focuses on developing curative strategies for sickle cell disease through transplantation of allogeneic or genetically modified autologous hematopoietic stem cells. An elected member to the American Society for Clinical Investigation, Dr. Tisdale is the recipient of the Ernest Beutler Lecture and Prize of the American Society of Hematology. His awards include the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy’s Jerry Mendell Award for Translational Science, the George C. Marshall Innovation Leadership Award, and the Public Health Service Outstanding Service Medal. Dr. Tisdale has over 280 publications. He was the Principal Investigator on the gene therapy trial of lovo-cel for SCD that was FDA approved in 2023.
Julia Xu, M.D., MScGH
Scientific Chair
Julia Z. Xu, MD, MS is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Classical Hematology and the Vascular Medicine Institute at the University of Pittsburgh. She specializes in the care of adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) and other red blood cell disorders. She received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and earned her MD from Columbia University. She completed combined internal medicine-global health residency training at Duke University, where she obtained a Master of Science in Global Health and conducted research internationally as a Fogarty International Center fellow, and completed her hematology fellowship training at the NIH. Dr. Xu’s research is focused on evaluating therapies and biomarkers to address the burden of chronic anemia in SCD and working with local and international partners to improve the care of individuals living with SCD globally. She has led multiple early-phase clinical trials of novel drug therapies and combination drug therapies in patients with SCD and is investigating the potential of biomarkers of blood rheology and tissue perfusion to improve care in SCD. She is serving as the Scientific Chair of the 19th Annual Sickle Cell Disease Research and Educational Symposium and 48th National Sickle Cell Disease Scientific Meeting.
Santosh Saraf, MD
Scientific Co-Chair
Dr. Santosh L. Saraf received his medical degree from the Temple University School of Medicine and completed an internal medicine residency and hematology & oncology fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Dr. Saraf joined the Division of Hematology & Oncology at UIC in 2012 and completed a Master of Science in Clinical and Translational Research through the University of Illinois School of Public Health in 2014. He currently serves as the Director of Translational Research for the Sickle Cell Center and the Fellowship Program Director for Hematology & Oncology. Dr. Saraf focuses his clinical care and research on understanding the mechanisms of kidney disease in patients with sickle cell disease and on developing curative therapies through hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for patients with clinically aggressive sickle cell disease.
Cheedy Jaja, PhD, MPH,MSN, MN, PMHNP-BC, APRN, FAAN
Scientific Co-Chair
Dr. Cheedy Jaja is an Associate Professor of Nursing. His interest in social justice, health disparities, and improving health outcomes in historically marginalized and vulnerable populations such as those with sickle cell disease drives his global health research, clinical, and advocacy initiatives in the USA and Africa. He is one of only a few nurse scientists prepared to use pharmacogenetics strategies in pharmacotherapy for sickle cell disease with a focus on developing tailored pharmacogenetics algorithms that optimize drug selection, dosing, and monitoring strategies for sickle cell disease pain. He has received national recognition for his research contributions as evidenced by being selected as a 2016 NIH Future Research Leader, a 2018 Fulbright Program Scholar, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2020.
Elevate the Conversation at FSCDR 2025!
The Scientific Program Planning Committee welcomes the submission of Topics and Speaker Names for the FSCDR 19th Annual Sickle Cell Disease Research and Educational Symposium and 48th National Sickle Cell Disease Scientific Meeting.
Join us in shaping a transformative experience this June 6 – 8, 2025, in sunny Ft. Lauderdale, FL. We encourage you to help the Scientific Program Planning Committee in shaping the Invited Symposium Program. Your insights are key to inspiring change and advancing care for those affected by sickle cell disease.
Don’t miss your chance to have an impact – submit your ideas by December 13, 2024 (11:59pm ET).
Genice Nelson’s, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC
Scientific Chair
Genice T. Nelson, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC, is a seasoned Nurse Practitioner specializing in sickle cell disease with over 15 years of experience managing adult patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She has championed education on sickle cell disease for patients, families, and healthcare providers across the U.S. and internationally, including leading a recent Sickle Cell Disease Bootcamp in Brazil and consulting with the Nigerian Ministry of Health to improve awareness and anti-malaria strategies. Dr. Nelson currently manages a comprehensive adult sickle cell pro gram that serves approximately 400 patients, providing a range of services from clinic visits to infusion care, while also coordinating a robust research program.
Cheedy Jaja, PhD, MPH,MSN, MN, PMHNP-BC, APRN, FAAN
Scientific Chair
Dr. Cheedy Jaja is an Associate Professor of Nursing. His interest in social justice, health disparities, and improving health outcomes in historically marginalized and vulnerable populations such as those with sickle cell disease drives his global health research, clinical, and advocacy initiatives in the USA and Africa. He is one of only a few nurse scientists prepared to use pharmacogenetics strategies in pharmacotherapy for sickle cell disease with a focus on developing tailored pharmacogenetics algorithms that optimize drug selection, dosing, and monitoring strategies for sickle cell disease pain. He has received national recognition for his research contributions as evidenced by being selected as a 2016 NIH Future Research Leader, a 2018 Fulbright Program Scholar, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2020.
