Krisann Dennis, a PhD candidate at the School of Social Work, is tackling this critical issue through her research on how Black adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease experience racial discrimination in healthcare settings.
Using an ethnographic approach, her project explores real-time interactions between patients and emergency department staff. Her goal is to identify the elements that either support or hinder these young patients’ ability to express their pain and receive adequate care.
Krisann’s work aims to inform health practices, reduce racial bias, and improve care quality for individuals living with sickle cell disease.
We are proud to see her research recognized by the Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario (SCAGO), through their Young Researcher Award Program—an initiative that supports postsecondary students conducting research in sickle cell disease to advance care through knowledge and education.