Meet our Masterclass Expert Speakers
Wanda Whitten-Shurney, MD | Moderator, Seminar Two - All Things Considered
CEO & Medical Director - Michigan Chapter of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America
Director - Newborn Hemoglobinopathy Screening Program, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Dr. Wanda Whitten-Shurney has a long and accomplished history of helping children and their families manage sickle cell disease. A pediatrician by training, Dr. Whitten-Shurney has provided care for children living with sickle cell disease at Children’s Hospital of Michigan for the past 30 years. She is director of the coordinating center for Newborn Hemoglobinopathy Screening Program for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Wanda was the driving force in the establishment of the Sickle Cell Donor Program for the American Red Cross of Southeastern Michigan. Currently, she is CEO and medical director of the Michigan chapter of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA). Her father, the late Dr. Charles Whitten, was one of the co-founders of the national SCDAA and a pioneer in sickle cell education and outreach.
Teonna Woolford | Moderator, Seminar Two - All Things Considered
Founder, The Sickle Cell Reproductive Health Education Directive (SC Red)
Teonna Woolford was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. She has always been talkative, friendly, and full of life. She has Sickle Cell Anemia SS and has faced numerous health complications as a result. A true fighter at heart, she has recovered from numerous complications including bilateral hip replacements, a failed bone marrow transplant, many pain crises, and several other complications. She has a zeal for effecting change throughout the Sickle Cell community and understands the realities of those impacted by the disease. While sickle cell has been a huge part of Teonna’s life, she does her best not to let sickle cell define who she is. Teonna has had opportunities to discuss sickle cell advocacy with world leaders including Former First Lady Michlle Obama and Congressman John Lewis. She has been blessed to sit at some incredible tables and contributed to publications and working committees with the American Society of Hematology and NHLBI. She is also the founder and CEO of The Sickle Cell Reproductive Health Education Directive (SC Red).
Shanetta Richardson, HSA | Speaker, Seminar Two - All Things Considered
President, Sickle Cell Association of the National Capital Area, Inc.
Ms. Richardson is a native Washingtonian and mother of three beautiful young ladies and the proud grandmother of two. Despite not finishing high school due to complications of sickle cell disease, Shanetta persevered to obtain her GED and move on to higher education. She has an Associates Degree in Arts in Business Administration, Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, and a Master’s degree in Health Service Administration. She is an ambassador for SCD and founded “I Am Sickle Cell, Inc.” and serves as its president. Its mission is to support all individuals with SCD and their families, and to bring awareness to the condition. Further, Shanetta volunteers as President of the Sickle Cell Association of the National Capital Area, Inc. Ms. Richardson has answered the call to preach the word of GOD, and she is an international motivational speaker. She is a writer, community activist, and advocate for victims of domestic violence. She has been featured in Ebony Magazine, NBC News 4, and WHUR 96.3 radio by Harold Fisher. Shanetta has received several awards, including the Roland B. Scott Community Service Award, and the Roland B. Scott Lifetime Achievement Award. For more information, including books, speaking engagements, seminars, or women’s retreats, contact Shanetta at Shanettari@outlook.com.
Clifton R. Kirman II | Speaker, Seminar Two - All Things Considered
Journalist & Social Media Specialist, Sickle Cell Disease Association of America - Michigan
Health and Equity Advisor Committee, Scott Center for Observation, Treatment and Transition
Clifton R. Kirkman II is 34-year-old Sickle Cell Warrior and advocate, freelance journalist and father to 9-year-old daughter, Crystal. His is the son of the late Rev. Clifton Kirkman Sr and Seconies Kirkman. As a native Detroiter, he’s a proud graduate of one of U.S. News’ top recognized Michigan high schools, Renaissance High School. Clifton furthered his education at Eastern Michigan University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronic Media and Film Studies. As a journalist, Clifton is always looking for the heart of a great story in and around the Detroit area. In addition to being a journalist, he is also the Social Media Specialist for the Sickle Cell Association of America-Michigan Chapter. As a community leader, Clifton has recently been appointed to sit as a board member of various community-based organizations. Most recently, he has been appointed to sit on the Health and Equity Advisor Committee of the Scott Center for Observation, Treatment and Transition. Clifton is also a board member of the nonprofit organization Defined by Fatherhood, whose mission is to cultivate community relations by empowering fathers. Clifton is always working in some capacity, whether it’s within the community or church-related. If he’s not writing, interviewing or posting to social media, Clifton can be seen, singing in the choir, listening to music or preparing various songs to teach to the choir. He is the newly appointed Midwest Chairman of Pastoral Communications and Relation Relations for Kingdom Destiny Fellowship International and is a member at New Macedonia Church, under the leadership of Rev. L. Deon Williams. He is also a due paying member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). As a Sickle Cell Warrior and advocate, Clifton has been interviewed by WebMD and was a featured guest on the nationally syndicated radio show, “Café Mocha Radio” by legendary Hip-Hop Artist, Yo-Yo. At any time, you can find Clifton around Metro Detroit trying new foods. In his spare time, he loves to travel and loves spending time with his daughter. One of Clifton’s life missions is to always educate others about Sickle Cell Disease.
Tesha Samuels | Speaker, Seminar Two - All Things Considered
Founder, Journey to ExSCellence
Tesha Samuels is a Sickle Cell Warrior, daughter, wife, bonus mother, and friend. Her life took a transformative turn in 2018 when she became the recipient of an autologous gene therapy transplant at the National Institutes of Health. This procedure proved successful and miraculously placed her in remission from the many symptoms Sickle Cell Anemia plagued her with. Her own experience with the life-changing therapy re-ignited a profound passion within her to advocate for those suffering from Sickle Cell and other rare diseases.
Tesha’s commitment to advocacy and her firsthand experience as a gene therapy transplant recipient have allowed her to share her inspiring journey on various platforms, including panels hosted by the Rare Disease Legislative Advocates (RDLA) and World Sickle Cell Day at Howard University. Her voice has also been heard on "The Daily Drum" radio broadcast with Harold Fisher and during Rare Disease Day at the National Institutes of Health. She has provided patient impact statements to members of the RDLA Congressional Caucus and the Health & Human Services Subcommittee, making a tangible difference in policy discussions. Her story and history with pain from this disease was featured in the Washington Post during the height of the war on the opioid crisis. In recognition of her advocacy efforts and humanitarian work, Tesha Samuels received the prestigious Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Ollie V. Greene Humanitarian Award both in 2020 and 2021. Her involvement with organizations like RDLA, World Sickle Cell Day at Howard University, Rare Disease Day at the National Institutes of Health, The Washington Post, and Medline Magazine has enabled her to continue to share her journey in hopes of inspiring warriors and policy makers to this cause.
Currently, she is employed as an Administrative Manager at Raye IT Consulting, where she contributes to recruiting, developing, and supporting team members of a growing woman-owned small business. In April of this year, she established her own nonprofit, Journey to ExSCellence, which aims to provide advocacy and direct support to adult Sickle Cell Warriors and their caregivers. Beyond her professional and advocacy endeavors, Tesha Samuels cherishes her time spent with family and friends. She firmly believes in the guiding principle that she can overcome all challenges through her faith in Christ, and she views her miraculous recovery as a testimony that with God, the seemingly impossible becomes possible.
Andrew Campbell, MD | Moderator, Seminar One - Gene Therapy: A Journey Forward
Director, Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Program, Children’s National Health System
Director of the Consortium for the Advancement of Sickle Cell Disease Research (CASiRe)
Andrew Campbell, M.D., is the Director of the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Program at Children’s National Health System in Washington, DC. Previously, he directed the University of Michigan Comprehensive Pediatric Hemoglobinopathies Program and was the Codirector of the Minority Health International Research Training Program at the University of Michigan Medical School, Center for Human Growth and Development. Dr. Campbell also directed a Fogarty Grant Training Program focused on health disparities affecting children. He is a faculty member and mentor of the Northern Pacific Global Health Research Fellows Training Consortium, Ghana Site. Dr. Campbell is a graduate of Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and completed his residency at Harvard Affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston followed by his pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship at Northwestern University.
Lewis Hsu, MD, PhD | Speaker, Seminar One - Gene Therapy: A Journey Forward
Director, Sickle Cell Center and Professor of Pediatrics for the University of Illinois at Chicago
Chief Medical Officer, Sickle Cell Disease Association of America
Lewis Hsu, M.D., is a pediatric hematologist who is dedicated to finding cures for sickle cell disease and to improving treatment and education until cures can be found. He is committed to building closer links between adult and pediatric components at the University of Illinois Chicago Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center. Dr. Hsu has led pediatric sickle cell programs at Emory University, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and Children’s National Medical Center. He has conducted sickle cell research, published over 50 peer-reviewed papers and co-authored “Hope and Destiny: The Patient and Parent’s Guide to Sickle Cell Disease and Sickle Cell Trait.” His research interests include sickle cell disease, health education, bone marrow transplantation and inflammation and vasculopathy, and health disparities. He completed his education at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Yale-New Haven Hospital and University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.
Edward Donnell Ivy, MD, MPH | Speaker, Seminar One - Gene Therapy: A Journey Forward
Director of Outreach and Education at The Possibilities Clinic
Vice Chief Medical Officer, Sickle Cell Disease Association of America
Edward Donnell Ivy, M.D., is the director of Outreach and Education at The Possibilities Clinic in Toronto, Canada. He was a Medical Officer at the Health Resources and Services Administration. He is also a sickle cell patient and advocate. Dr. Ivy had a very difficult childhood living with the disease. By the time he reached college, he would suffer terrible pain that would put him in the hospital for weeks. At the age of 23, he was diagnosed with acute chest syndrome. The hematologist prescribed Hydroxyurea. It stopped his severe pain and changed the doctor’s career path. Since then, he has made it his life’s work to ensure that patients have access to the resources they need. More recently he has achieved this through the National Institutes of Health in Washington DC. He has worked on sickle cell clinical practice guidelines and on projects involving cardiovascular disease and diabetes.