Advances in the Treatment of Sickle Cell Disease: Moving Toward a Cure

Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 8:00 AM - Thursday, May 8, 2025, 4:00 PM, Online

The management of patients with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a highly specialized field of hematology, growing in complexity due to advances in gene therapy and the rising frequency of hematopoietic stem cell transplants. This requires that healthcare providers, particularly those new to caring for patients with Sickle Cell Disease, be well-versed in advanced treatments and the management of this vulnerable and often underserved population.

This complimentary two-day symposium offers a foundational overview and explores the latest advances in Sickle Cell Disease, including pathophysiology, advances in medical management, stem cell transplant and gene therapy, management of multi-system complications, psychosocial implications, and accessibility to the wide spectrum of care from a global health perspective.

This program is complimentary for all participants and is intended for nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, physicians, and students interested in the complex care of patients with Sickle Cell Disease. After the course concludes, you will receive access to an online syllabus, which will include select PDFs of faculty presentations (slides) and recorded videos.

Patients, Caregivers, and Patient Advocates: We’re delighted to invite you to participate in this symposium. If you're interested in attending, please submit your request here to register.

1. Discuss the pathophysiology and genetic implications of SCD
2. Address the common complications and clinical management of patients living with SCD
3. Identify unique opportunities for individualized pain management utilizing evidenced based guidelines based on pain science for patients with SCD
4. Recall current clinical management of acute vaso occlusive crisis in patients with SCD
5. Identify mental health challenges and issues of health care equity in this patient population.
6. Recognize the role of gene therapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplant, unique complications and management of patients with SCD

This symposium is complimentary for all participants; however, registration is required to attend. Please select the 'Register' tab above to complete program registration.

If you are a patient, caregiver, or patient advocate, please submit your request here to register. 

If you are registered for this program and are no longer able to attend, please contact [email protected] to cancel you registration. For additional details on our cancellation terms, please review our Cancellation Policy.

'Industry professionals' are welcome to attend Continuing Medical Education events at MSK for their own educational purposes. View our Registration Policy for Industry Professionals for more information.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

AMA Credit Designation Statement

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center designates this live activity for a maximum of 13.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

MOC/CC Recognition Statements

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 13.25 credits/points in the following certification programs:

— Medical Knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification Assessment Recognition Program; and
— Lifelong Learning & Self-Assessment MOC points for the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) Maintenance of Certification program

MOC/CC points will be reported to your board within 45 days of course completion.

ANCC CNE Statement

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center–Nursing Professional Development / Continuing Education is accredited with distinction as a provider of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

13.25 contact hours will be awarded to participants who attend the program in its entirety and complete a program evaluation. Partial credit not awarded.

Advanced Practice Providers

— American Academy of Nurse Practitioners National Certification Program accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ from organizations accredited by the ACCME.
— American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ from organizations accredited by the ACCME.
— National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ from organizations accredited by ACCME.

Course Director 
Joanne Torok-Castanza, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC, FNP
Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

MSK Physician Sponsor 
Maria Cancio, MD
Head of Clinical Operations, Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapies, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology; 
Associate Attending, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 
Associate Professor, Weill Cornell Medical College

MSK APP Sponsor 
Nicole Zakak, MS, RN, CPNP, CPHON®
Director, Advanced Practice Provider Quality and Professional Development
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Course Planners

Linda D’Andrea, MSN, RN, PPCNP-BC, CPHON® 
Advanced Practice Provider Education Specialist
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Lauren Murphy, MSN, RN, CPNP-AC
Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Kanayo Nwankwo, MD
Fellow, Pediatric Hematology Oncology
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Natalie Sommerville-Brooks, MSN, RN, FNP-BC
Department of Hematology/Oncology
Brookdale Hospital Medical Center

Claire Templeman, MSN, RN, CPNP-AC
Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Patient Perspective 

Destiny Hannah 

 

MSK Leadership Welcome

Jaap-Jan Boelens, MD, PhD
Chief, Pediatric Transplant and Cellular Therapy Service (TCT)
Richard J. O’Reilly Chair in Honor of Kevin Zoltan Merszei
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 

Andrew Kung, MD, PhD
Chair, Department of Pediatrics
Lila Acheson Wallace Chair for Pediatric Research
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Symposium Faculty 

Nkechi Azinge-Egbiri, JD, PhD
Lecturer, Business and Commercial Law
Lancaster University
Lancaster, UK

Nnenna Badamosi, MD
Assistant Professor, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology,
Medical College of Georgia;
Director of Clinical Development, 
Editas Medicine
Augusta, GA

Yvonne Carroll, RN, JD
Director, Patient Services to Director – Programs, Department of Hematology 
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Memphis, TN

Sobenna George, MD
Pediatric Endocrinologist;
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology
Emory+ Children’s Pediatric Institute
Atlanta, GA

Christine Greco, MD
Division Chief, Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine,
Boston Children’s Hospital;
Assistant Professor of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA

Julie Kanter, MD
Co-Director, Lifespan Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center; 
Professor, Division of Hematology and Oncology;
Director Adult Sickle Cell Clinic
University of Alabama
Birmingham, AL

Hamda Khan, MA
Medical Anthropologist
St Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Memphis, TN

Friederike Kogel, MD
Research Associate
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, NY

Adam Levin, MD
Associate Professor;
Vice Chair of Clinical Operations, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Johns Hopkins Medical Center 
Baltimore, MD

Deepa G. Manwani, MD
Director of Hematology, Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Cellular Therapy;
Professor of Pediatrics
Montefiore Medical Center
Albert Einstein School of Medicine  
Bronx, NY

Kerry A. Morrone, MD
Director of the Sickle Cell Program
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Montefiore Medical Center
Albert Einstein School of Medicine  
Bronx, NY

Ugochi Ogu, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center;
Medical Director, Diggs-Kraus Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center - Regional One Health
Memphis, TN

Monika Paroder, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Pathology
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, NY

Akshay Sharma, MD
Associate Member, Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy
St Jude Children’s Research Hospital 
Memphis, TN

Lori Vick, RN, PhD
Professor of Nursing, 
University of South Carolina; 
President, International Association of Sickle Cell Nursees and Professional Associates 
Columbia, SC

Kusum Viswanathan, MD, FAAP
CMO, One Brooklyn Health- Brookdale; 
Chair, Department of Pediatrics;
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
SUNY, Health Science University
Brooklyn, NY

Candice Young-Deler
Founder, Candice’s Sickle Cell Fund, Inc. 
Bronx, NY

Yaoping Zhang, MD
Visiting Associate Professor of Pediatrics;
Director, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology 
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University 
Brooklyn, NY

 

Warrior Panel 

Bukola Bolarinwa
Mekhai Genfi
Destiny Hannah
Erick Hannah
Tamika Hearn

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity, including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others are required to disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies (commercial interests). All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.