Dr. Lakiea Bailey

Dr. Lakiea Bailey is an advocate for sickle cell disease, an educator and a research scientist. Having been diagnosed with sickle cell disease at the age of three, she became a passionate advocate for people with rare diseases and is committed to being a voice of encouragement and empowerment in the sickle cell community. Despite the devastating symptoms of sickle cell disease, Dr. Bailey was determined to achieve her academic goals, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2001 and a Ph.D. in Molecular Hematology and Regenerative Medicine in 2012. During her training, Dr. Bailey has been named a Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Fellow, has received numerous awards and honors, including the Fisher Scientific Award for Global Excellence in Biomedical Research, the Faculty Alumni Association Award. of Georgia Medicine. Leadership Award and was inducted into the Alpha Honor Society Upsilon Phi. She believes that through hard work, diligence, patience and faith, even the seemingly impossible hurdles can be overcome. Dr. Bailey has been researching the molecular mechanisms involved in induction and regulation. gamma-globin gene demonstrated cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in the expression of gamma globin in patients with thalassemia beta. in sickle-induced vaso-occlusion and described previously unidentified human mutations in the alpha and beta hemoglobin chains. Prior to transitioning to full-time advocacy work in 2014, Dr. Bailey was a founding board member of the Family Advocacy Coalition for the Empowerment of the Sickle Cell Disease Community and the Founding Vice President. from Sickle. Cell Warriors, Inc., as scientific advisor to both. She was a frequent guest and advisor on the What’zDa Count radio show on Sickle Cell Trait BlogTalk and made several trips to Capitol Hill where she advocated for increased funding for research and visibility of the SCDAA.

In 2014, Dr. Bailey founded and began working as executive director of the Sickle Cell Community Consortium, a coordinated network of community-based organizations for sickle cell disease, patient and caregiver advocates, community partners and health counselors. The consortium functions as an organizing entity enabling this diverse group of stakeholders to identify, prioritize, develop and execute solutions for identified patient needs and gaps in the sickle cell community. Dr. Bailey is also a contract consultant with bluebird bio, has been a patient expert with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and sits on the Research Advisory Board of the Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research. Dr. Bailey enjoys traveling across the country to promote sickle cell disease awareness. Its goal is to provide a platform to harness and amplify the power of patients’ voices, ensuring that the sickle cell patient and the caregiver play a leading role in research, policy, advocacy, legislation and education.