Season 14 • Episode 1110

A Public Health and Business School Graduate with Sickle Cell Disease

Sep 24, 2026

21:06

Sickle Cell Disease Public Health Health Policy

Episode Description

About this episode:

September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month, recognizing a severe disease that affects an estimated 100,000 people in the U.S. In this episode: Shayla Ellington, who lives with Hemoglobin SC disease, shares how her diagnosis has shaped her life, how she sees the underfunding of research and treatment, and how she uses her public health and business school training to advocate for a brighter future.

Guest:

Shayla Ellington, MPH, MBA, is a recent alumna of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Carey Business School.

Host:

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.

Show links and related content:

About Sickle Cell Disease—Sickle Cell Disease Association of America
Beyond Gene Therapies: People With Sickle Cell Disease Need Comprehensive Care—Health Affairs
Sickle Cell Disease: Genetic Therapies and Treatment Hurdles—Public Health On Call (August 2025)

Transcript information:

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