Dr. Rivers is the Director at Sickle Cell Transition Adolescent-Adult Readiness Clinic (STAR) program. Her research interests focus on the Adeno Associated Virus as a vector for gene therapy in sickle cell disease. She has received NIH K08 funding for lab research inducers of fetal hemoglobin. The research (K01 HL103172-01, NIH/ NIHLBI) led by Dr. Rivers focuses on AAV capsid engineering to facilitate expression of therapeutic levels of beta-globin in mouse hematopoietic stem cells. Because everyone is not a candidate for transplantation, successful treatment for sickle cell disease needs to include the development of therapeutic options beside hydroxyurea. Under the mentorship of Dr. Don Lavelle and Dr. Joseph De Simone at the University of Illinois Chicago, the research of Dr. Rivers also focuses on the possible phenotypic correction of sickle disease by induction of hemoglobin F with the combination treatment of Decitabine and novel drugs.

Representative Publications:

Adverse Reactions to Pneumococcal Vaccine in Pediatric and Adolescent Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

Pharmacological inhibition of LSD1 and mTOR reduces mitochondrial retention and associated ROS levels in the red blood cells of sickle cell disease

The LSD1 inhibitor RN-1 induces fetal hemoglobin synthesis and reduces disease pathology in sickle cell mice

RN-1, a potent and selective lysine-specific demethylase 1 inhibitor, increases γ-globin expression, F reticulocytes, and F cells in a sickle cell disease mouse model

Drug-loaded sickle cells programmed ex vivo for delayed hemolysis target hypoxic tumor microvessels and augment tumor drug delivery

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