The Mount Sinai Center for Sickle Cell Disease team is comprised of several of the Nation’s leading researchers focusing on offering comprehensive care and the most advanced breakthroughs in treatments that dramatically improve outcomes for patients.
Jeffrey Glassberg, MD, MA
Director
Jeffrey Glassberg, MD, MA, is tenured Professor of Emergency Medicine and Medicine (Hematology and Medical Oncology) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Director of the Mount Sinai Center for Sickle Cell Disease. Dr. Glassberg is the first Emergency Physician to run a Sickle Cell Program, where he practices in a unique way, seeing patients in the Emergency Department, in the hospital, and in the Sickle Cell Clinic. Dr. Glassberg has grown the Sinai Sickle Cell Program into one of the largest and most successful in the world, with nearly 1,500 patients and more than $25 million in National Institutes of Health funding. Mount Sinai’s program is also one of the largest providers of access to cutting-edge treatments for Sickle Cell Disease including monoclonal antibodies and gene therapy cures. To mitigate the critical shortage of expert Sickle Cell physicians, Dr. Glassberg created the Mount Sinai Sickle Cell Fellowship, one of only two dedicated sickle cell fellowships in the United States. Dr. Glassberg’s research spans the translational spectrum, including pulmonary complications of sickle cell disease, novel biomarkers for vaso-occlusive crises, novel gene therapy targets and agents for the prevention and treatment of vaso-occlusion.
Susanna Curtis, MD, PhD
Assistant Director
Susanna Curtis, MD, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology and Medical Oncology) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. They see patients in The Adult Program for Sickle Cell at Mount Sinai Hospital and conduct research on the clinical use of novel agents to reduce chronic pain and inflammation in people with sickle cell disease. Prior to joining Mount Sinai in 2022, Dr. Curtis was Assistant Director of the Montefiore Adult Sickle Cell Center.
Angela Liu, MD
Clinical Instructor
Angela Liu, MD is a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She sees patients in The Adult Program for Sickle Cell at Mount Sinai Hospital. She also conducts research on inflammatory biomarkers to understand the different clinical phenotypes in sickle cell disease so that we can provide better personalized treatment for patients. Prior to joining the team, Dr. Liu was a hematology/oncology fellow at Mount Sinai.
Galia Pollock, MD
Clinical Instructor
Galia Pollock, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She sees patients in The Adult Program for Sickle Cell at Mount Sinai Hospital. Prior to joining the team, Dr. Pollock was a sickle cell disease fellow at Boston University Medical Center and a hematology fellow at the University of Manitoba in Canada.
Charleen Jacobs-McFarlane, PhD, RN, ANP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
Charleen Jacobs is PhD-prepared Adult Nurse Practitioner with nearly two decades years of nursing experience. She has worked with people with sickle cell disease since 2015. Charleen joined the team in 2017 and works to ensure that patients with sickle cell disease have access to effective, equitable, evidence-based care throughout the Mount Sinai Health System. She is interested in research that will improve patient’s quality of life and aims to reduce barriers to accessing care for those affected by sickle cell disease.
Brittany McCrary, MS, AGNP-BC, RN-BC
Nurse Practitioner
Brittany McCrary joined the Adult Program for Sickle Cell at Mount Sinai in July 2020 as a nurse practitioner. She previously cared for patients with sickle cell disease and their families as a clinical medical-surgical nurse at Mount Sinai. She works closely with the pediatric sickle cell disease team to help transition young adults to adult care.
Chassidy Best, RN, BSN
Clinical Nurse
Chassidy Best is a clinical registered nurse with the Mount Sinai Sickle Cell Disease Program who has experience caring for acutely ill patients in the inpatient setting as well as caring for patients in ambulatory care. She has an interest in community health and enjoys working with an interdisciplinary team to optimize patient care.
Carolyn Hutson, LCSW-R
Social Worker
Carolyn Hutson joined the Adult Program for Sickle Cell Disease at Mount Sinai in May 2021. A medical social worker in New York City since 1989, Ms. Hutson previously worked with patients with life- threatening or terminal illness as well as patients with Sickle Cell Disease. Ms. Hutson is a lecturer at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Social Work and a clinical instructor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Lajoya Haygood
Administrative Coordinator
Lajoya Haygood is an administrative Coordinator for the Adult Program for Sickle Cell Disease. She previously worked in the Social Work and Care Management department at the Mount Sinai Health Partners. Lajoya has more than 15 years of administrative and project management experience. She uses those skills and her patient care coordinating experience to ensure the sickle cell disease program runs efficiently.
Jordan Bellis
Research Project Manager
Jordan Bellis is the research project manager for the Adult Program for Sickle Cell Disease. She oversees all aspects of sickle cell disease research including grant preparation, research design, regulatory approvals, post-award management, research execution, compliance reports, progress reports, and study closeouts.
Luis Muncharaz Duran
Translational Optical Retinal Imaging Technician
Luis Muncharaz Duran is a Research Technician with dual degrees in Biomedical Engineering (BSc) from Columbia University and Physics (BA) from Drew University. Specializing in advanced imaging techniques, Luis works with the sickle cell program, utilizing adaptive optics and OCTA to capture detailed images that support patient diagnosis and treatment. His expertise contributes to the team’s research on visual complications in sickle cell patients, advancing insights into this critical aspect of care.
Affan Haq
Clinical Research Coordinator
Affan Haq is a Clinical Research Coordinator for the Adult Program for Sickle Cell Disease. With a background as a medical doctor from Pakistan, he assists in coordinating clinical studies, including patient recruitment, data collection, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. In addition to his work on the REVIVE Study, which investigates retinal changes and their implications for patient care, he is actively involved in other research projects aimed at advancing clinical outcomes and improving patient care.
Lydia Monk
Clinical Research Coordinator
Lydia Monk is a clinical research coordinator for the Adult Program for Sickle Cell Disease. She carries out the daily tasks of clinical research studies, including obtaining informed consent, and collecting and maintaining study data. She holds a BS in Cognitive Science
Mitali Ashokkumar Pradhan, MS, CCRP
Clinical Trials Manager
Mitali Pradhan is a clinical trials manager for the Adult Program for Sickle Cell at Mount Sinai. She oversees all operational aspects of clinical trials activity from start up to close out of the trials, as well as regulatory compliance. Ms. Pradhan holds a master's degree in Regulatory Affairs and is a Certified Clinical Research Professional.