Sickle Cell Disease is a devastating, and often debilitating disease that requires a complex set of care and treatments for the patients burdened with this genetic illness.

I co-founded my company, Safi Biotherapeutics, to lead the development of biomanufactured red blood cells (mRBCs) at a viable scale and economics for use in multi-unit transfusions.

Our initial mission is to manufacture specifically tailored RBCs for Sickle Cell Disease patients who require chronic transfusions but for whom appropriately matched RBC units are difficult, if not impossible, to locate.

So this cause is near and dear to me, as I have learned so much in the past 4 years about the difficulties and  challenges SCD patients undergo in their lifetime

And though hiking is also something I’ve always enjoyed, I have never summited a major peak and have never completed a big, multi-day climb outside of the U.S.  So this will truly be a great challenge for a great cause!