Cliff Takemoto, MD

As part of my growing and evolving research into sickle cell disease, I lead an observational cohort study called SCCRIP: Sickle Cell Research and Intervention Program. This study — launched approximately a decade ago — aims to understand the natural history and experience of patients with sickle cell disease over time, the health and social effects of the disease and the long-term benefits of certain treatments. This unique program combines the expertise of researchers and clinicians within hematology and many others from diverse fields such as neuropsychology, nephrology, cardiology, pulmonology, genetics and social sciences to explore the outcomes of people with sickle cell disease from birth through adulthood. 

Another area of my research involves exploring the genetics associated with these clinical outcomes of sickle cell disease. My collaborators and I participate in several consortiums, including the NHLBI Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program, to understand how germline genetics changes in patients affect the clinical outcomes they experience. I am also working with external collaborators to investigate how acquired genetic changes in blood cells — clonal hematopoiesis — interplay with germline changes to affect the health outcomes of people living with the condition.

Outside of my clinical research on sickle cell disease, I work with collaborators at both St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital to study bleeding and clotting disorders in children and their risk factors for developing thrombosis. Several new direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are available to treat clots in children, and my colleagues and I are investigating how best to use DOACs in children living with cancer.

My research also uses clinical informatic tools to investigate large datasets for clinical insights and discovery. My collaborators and I have recently examined the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on bleeding and clotting risk in persons with hemophilia. We plan to expand this research investigation to explore COVID-19’s long-term impact on other disease areas like sickle cell disease. My other work in clinical informatics involves leveraging the EPIC electronic medical record system for research and care improvement of St. Jude’s patient population in hematology.

These research areas coincide with my primary clinical responsibilities, which include working in St. Jude’s Hematology Clinic and overseeing the clinical care and research programs for sickle cell disease, hemophilia and thrombosis, and bone marrow failure. In addition, at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, I provide coagulation support and hematology expertise for multidisciplinary clinics, vascular anomalies and pediatric stroke.