Searching for a Cure: Sickle Cell Disease Genome Editing

There is an urgent need for more treatment options for sickle cell disease (SCD). In the US, the vast majority of people with SCD are Black, a community that has suffered a history of grave abuses by doctors and medical researchers, and continues to be underserved and experience health and treatment disparities.

How do we conduct research on genome-editing treatments for SCD in the context of this history and continuing disparities? 

Vence L. Bonham, J.D., is an Associate Investigator at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), and serves as the Senior Advisor to the NHGRI Director on Genomics and Health Disparities. In this seminar, Bonham discusses how we can move forward with SCD research, using the principles recommended by the National Academies of Sciences: respect for persons, fairness, and transnational cooperation.