We at Cayenne Wellness Center are beyond excited to welcome you to the 17th Annual Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Educational Summit! Whether you’re joining us in person or virtually, today marks the beginning of an empowering journey of connection, learning, and advocacy.
Our conference hub is live in the Cvent App—your go-to place for the full schedule, resources, and networking opportunities. This year’s summit is filled with dynamic speakers, groundbreaking sessions, and inspiring workshops designed to keep you at the forefront of SCD research, treatment, and community care.
Let’s come together to make this year’s summit the best one yet!
Important Reminders
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- Registration (In-Person): Opens at 11:00 AM
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- Session Evaluation: Click here to share your feedback Your feedback helps us improve and ensure each session meets your needs.
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- Event Survey: After the summit, please complete the full survey to help us grow and serve you better.
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- Testimonials: We’d love to hear how you’re enjoying the summit! Share your thoughts with us, and you may be featured in future communications.
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- Need Help? Email us at events@cayennewellness.org for support.
Day 1 – Wednesday, September 17, 2025
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 11:00 AM | Registration Opens [San Jose Ballroom] |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch |
| 12:30 PM | Drummers and Dancers – Kuumba, LLC |
| 12:50 PM | Pain: Seen and Unseen (Video) & Scar Stories Montage |
| 1:00 PM | Thank You to Our Sponsors |
| 1:05 PM | Cassandra Trimnell – SC101 |
| 1:15 PM | Sickle Cellness (Team Building) with Brain Power Wellness |
| 1:30 PM | Moderators – Victoria Coleman Cowger, PhD & William “Bill” Engelman, MD |
| 1:45 PM | FDA Approved Modifying Therapies – Presentations |
| 1:50 PM | Hydroxyurea – Ward Hagar, MD |
| 2:00 PM | L-Glutamine – Charles Stark, PharmD; Karen Gant, APRN FNP-BC; Kazon Neely; Steven Frankowitz |
| 2:10 PM | Red Blood Cell Exchange – Terumo – Melissa Anderson, MD |
| 2:20 PM | Community-Engaged Sickle Cell Research – Brianna Smith |
| 2:35 PM | Q & A |
| 2:45 PM | Emerging Therapies (Modifying) |
| 2:45 PM | Agios Pharmaceuticals |
| 3:00 PM | Fulcrum Therapeutics |
| 3:15 PM | Novo Nordisk |
| 3:30 PM | Q & A |
| 3:45 PM | Two FDA Approved Gene Therapies – Presentations |
| 3:45 PM | Vertex Patient Educators Overview – Jordan McDowell |
| 4:00 PM | bluebird bio Patient Educators Overview – Sheri Reed |
| 4:15 PM | Q & A |
| 4:30 PM | Emerging Curative Therapies – Presentations |
| 4:30 PM | Beam Therapeutics |
| 4:40 PM | Kamau Therapeutics |
| 4:50 PM | Q & A |
| 5:15 PM | Break |
| 5:30 PM | Dinner [San Jose Ballroom] |
| 6:30 PM | Private Screening of You Look Fine (documentary) by J Snow [San Jose Ballroom] |
| 8:30 PM | Adjourned |
We can’t wait to share this powerful experience with you. Thank you for being part of the journey to improve the lives of individuals living with sickle cell disease.
Stay connected with us on social media, and don’t forget to tag us in your summit highlights!
