Pulmonary Complications of Sickle Cell Disease Research

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a life-limiting condition and the most common genetic disease among African Americans, affecting approximately 100,000 individuals in the United States. The pulmonary complications of sickle cell disease, which are in themselves associated with high levels of acute and chronic morbidity and early mortality, are poorly understood, understudied, and under-recognized by clinicians. Through Dr. Robyn Cohen’s collaboration with the multicenter Sleep and Asthma Cohort research group, she demonstrated that features of asthma (recurrent wheezing, airway obstruction and inflammation, and atopy) are common among children with sickle cell anemia and associated with significant morbidity. Current projects involve evaluating the impact and effectiveness of using BiPAP as supportive care for hospitalized individuals with SCD. 

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