Behind the bench... with Dr. Michael DeBaun, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Clinician-scientist sets sickle cell research agenda by engaging with the community, listening to families and patients

The importance of finding ways to mitigate the side effects and discovering potential cures for sickle cell disease – which affects 90,000-100,000 people in the U.S. – is one reason I recently spoke with clinician-scientist Dr. Michael DeBaun, professor of pediatrics and medicine at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and director of the Vanderbilt-Meharry Center for Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease. I also chose to speak with Dr. DeBaun because his work is so transformative, both in terms of what he is finding and how he goes about performing it. His research (literally) spans the globe and delves into topics ranging from the impact of silent infarcts on a child’s full-scale IQ and academic performance to connections among sickle cell, sleep, and asthma to the use of hydroxyurea in Nigerian children with SCD. His research priorities are often set by his interactions in the clinic, not the lab. Read the full message and listen to the podcasts…

Related Links:

• Reducing the Burden of Sickle Cell Disease
• Health Topics: Sickle Cell Anemia
• Sickle Cell Disease Research and Care