Carlton Haywood Jr.

I am a student in the doctoral program in bioethics and health policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. My research interests are in the areas of African American perspectives on bioethics, ethical issues in the care, treatment, and research involving persons with Sickle Cell Disease, and racial and ethnic health disparities in the U.S. My dissertation will explore the determinants of trust among adults with Sickle Cell and the role of trust in the willingness of adults with Sickle Cell to participate in clinical research.

I had the good fortune of being able to study bioethics as an undergraduate and as a Masters student at UVA. My undergraduate major was in religious studies, with a minor in bioethics. My training in the bioethics program at UVA provided me with a strong foundation that has enabled me to experience much success in my doctoral program, and it has created wonderful academic opportunities for me despite the fact that I am still early in my doctoral training. For example, due to my background in ethics and my research interests, I have been asked to co-author an upcoming book chapter examining the ethical, legal, and social implications surrounding Sickle Cell Disease in the Human Genome Era. Additionally, the relationships that I formed with my fellow students and the faculty in the UVA program have provided me with a network of esteemed colleagues that I rely upon heavily today for support and advice in addressing the many challenges that arise for someone at this early stage of his career.