Meet Dr. Campbell
Andrew Campbell, MD, is the Director of the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Program at Children’s National Health System in Washington DC. Before his move to Washington, he directed the University of Michigan Comprehensive Pediatric Hemoglobinopathies Program and was the Co-Director of the Minority Health International Research Training Program at the University of Michigan Medical School, Center for Human Growth and Development. He also directed a Fogarty Grant Training Program focusing on health disparities affecting Child Health. He is a Faculty Member and Mentor of the Northern Pacific Global Health Research Fellows Training Consortium, Ghana Site. His projects include Translational Research (Vascular Biology) in Ghanaian Sickle Cell Patients with the Department of Physiology at the University of Ghana Medical School and Health Outcomes research in the Sickle Cell Clinic in Accra, Ghana. For the past several years he has focused his research on understanding the varied phenotypic expression of sickle cell disease in different populations through the multinational Consortium for the Advancement of Sickle Cell Disease Research (CASiRe) which he directs. Dr. Campbell is a graduate of Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and completed his residency training at Harvard Affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston followed by his Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at Northwestern University.
Dr. Campbell’s interest in global health goes hand in hand with his professional focus: Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). “I started to realize a lot of the burden of SCD is in countries outside of the US,” he says, adding “the sickle cell gene has a much higher rate in sub-Saharan Africa than here in the US. 75% of the SCD cases in the world are in sub-Saharan Africa, and no more than 1% of the world’s SCD population is in the US.” In addition, most medical centers in sub-Saharan Africa are dramatically lacking in the resources necessary to care for this disease. “So,” recalls Dr. Campbell, “I started to partner with SCD centers and students in Ghana to have a better understanding of SCD and the SC phenotype within the Ghanaian population.”
The partnership grew to become more substantial overtime, and Dr. Campbell became a Faculty Member and Mentor at the Northern Pacific Global Health Research Fellows Training Consortium in Ghana. In this position he was able to provide training for medical students and researchers, as well as further his research interests into SC phenotype and expand access to SCD treatment in the surrounding area. He also collaborated with local blood bank specialists in Ghana in order to more thoroughly understand alloimmunization rates in SCD patients who have received multiple transfusions.
Through this work and his partnership with the Sickle Cell Clinic in Accra, Ghana, the incidence of kidney disease in SCD patients became an increasingly apparent trend. “We have an inherent interest in looking at the incidence of kidney disease in pediatric and adult patients in Ghana,” says Dr. Campbell, as well as “the possible correlation between retinopathy and kidney disease.” With one study underway at the clinic, there have been rates as high as 60 to 70 percent of patients with “some sort or sickle renal disease.” These findings led the SCD clinic to develop a nephrology clinic to manage patients when they are there for SCD.
There are definitely challenges, especially due to insufficient monetary and personnel resources. “Many of our collaborative partners have many responsibilities that results in their inability to commit (to a project),” says Dr. Campbell. However, he adds, “they are very eager to collaborate in order to not only understand SCD and other chronic diseases within their population but also to allow them to (conduct research).” Understanding the underlying factors of SCD and its treatment is a priority for this community, especially given the current impact on and genetic probability of this disease within this population.
Dr. Campbell also serves as a mentor to young physicians and researchers in Ghana. He has worked closely with several students, assisting them to conduct research and develop publications. One of his previous mentees, a PhD candidate in physiology, is now the Chair of Physiology at the University of Ghana Medical School. At the moment, he is on the thesis advisory panel for a masters student studying sickle cell disease. A previous PhD mentee’s project studying sickle cell disease was recognized as “one of the best projects in that class,” recalls Dr. Campbell. Educational outreach is really about “capacity building” he adds. By enabling these clinicians and researchers to be their best, Dr. Campbell is fueling sustainable development, and helping the Ghanaian system to advance from the top-down. The partnership, and their joint, sustained research efforts, informs Dr. Campbell’s understanding of sickle cell disease and his treatment for patients at Children’s.
In addition to providing critical insights into SCD, doing fieldwork “allows you to see a realistic view of the healthcare system and the challenges of research that you encounter,” describes Dr. Campbell. There are many unforeseen challenges, which being on the ground helps researchers to identify. For example, recalls Dr. Campbell, “many countries that you might collaborate with might be English speaking but you really don’t appreciate the importance of the country’s dialect or tribal language, which is substantial.” These details can have a serious impact on the comfort of families involved in the research studies as well as their ability to participate. “Local partners really help you understand and navigate the underlying culture and languages,” says Dr. Campbell, adding that “there are cultural considerations we night not consider here in the US.” This insight from local providers is very important for understanding how to design a study as well as developing “competent health care strategies,” for research and treatment.
Dr. Campbell also leads a multinational research group, the Consortium for the Advancement of Sickle Cell Disease Research (CASiRe), focused on understanding the varied phenotypic expression of sickle cell disease. The consortium collects information about pain rate and use of health care facilities during severe pain crises. This research both helps to “bridge the gap in care between developing countries and those with resources,” and helps Dr. Campbell to “improve the care of SCD patients here in the US, of which at least a third are first generation.”
Another international project Dr. Campbell is focused on is called SC Ontology, funded by Atria Africa. Dr. Campbell and his colleagues are working to develop “the first international ontology database for chronic illness.” The project involves researchers and providers from the US, Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, and Brazil. The expected result of the project is a “web based resource,” which “defines various SCD terms and phenotypes.” Dr. Campbell hopes it will become “a resource for international providers,” giving them information on “SCD phenotype, management, and treatment.” It has been developed over the last three years and is expected to launch over the next few months.
From his many research projects and partnerships, Dr. Campbell has identified the clear need for international teamwork to address the global burden of pediatric disease. Moving forward here at Children’s, Dr. Campbell thinks it is very important to “increase our network of operations” as well as to “include more trainees, residents, and fellows to be part of global health projects.” In addition, he would like to see Children’s partner with a sister hospital overseas in order to facilitate sustainable growth and mutual education opportunities for medical trainees.