With World Sickle Cell Day approaching on June 19, University of Minnesota Medical School and M Health Fairview expert Alexander Boucher, M.D., FAAP, addresses what sickle cell disease is and who it impacts.
Alexander A. Boucher, M.D., FAAP
“Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder that affects several hundred Minnesotans, one hundred thousand Americans and millions worldwide. It can lead to progressive problems in all organs — most often pain, pneumonia and kidney disease — which can lead to early death. In the United States, most individuals with SCD are Black and face barriers to care due to structural racism and other social determinants of health. At the University of Minnesota, we are engaged in cutting-edge bench-to-bedside research, including working to cure SCD. We are simultaneously working with multidisciplinary medical teams to provide a more equitable, transparent and holistic approach to care across our system.”
Contact Information
Alexander Boucher
Assistant professor
University of Minnesota Medical School, M Health Fairview
[email protected]
Dr. Alex Boucher, M.D., FAAP, is an assistant professor of hematology at the University of Minnesota Medical School and M Health Fairview. He has clinical, research and teaching interests in rare inherited blood disorders, especially SCD and thalassemia. Dr. Boucher is also working to address diversity, equity and inclusion issues in clinical care. He specializes in care related to adolescent and young adult care transitions. His mission is to build a lifespan approach to care for SCD and similar disorders that encompasses optimal medical care while expanding clinical research opportunities for patients and families, all with a foundation in patient-centered outcomes, transparency in care and health equity.
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The University of Minnesota Medical School is at the forefront of learning and discovery, transforming medical care and educating the next generation of physicians. Our graduates and faculty produce high-impact biomedical research and advance the practice of medicine. We acknowledge that the U of M Medical School, both the Twin Cities campus and Duluth campus, is located on traditional, ancestral and contemporary lands of the Dakota and the Ojibwe, and scores of other Indigenous people, and we affirm our commitment to tribal communities and their sovereignty as we seek to improve and strengthen our relations with tribal nations. For more information about the U of M Medical School, please visit med.umn.edu.
