bluebird bio

The flock and bWILD, bluebird’s Women Influencing Leadership Development ERG, are so grateful to Kendalle Burlin O'Connell, Esq. for sharing her powerful story and her insights on the future of biotech at a fireside chat at the nest. Thank you for joining us!

The flock celebrates our LGBTQ+ members of the flock this month, and year-round. In honor of Pride month, bPROUD hosted queer trivia as an egg-cellent opportunity for birds to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community and history. Happy Pride! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

The flock was thrilled to welcome sickle cell warrior, advocate, and member of the LGBTQ+ community, Andrè Marcel Harris, to the nest for a conversation about the many aspects of Andrè's experience – his race, sexual identity, faith, and more – that intersect and overlap to shape his journey with sickle cell disease. Along with sharing his lived experiences, he also visited our lab to meet with some of the minds behind our science and participated in the flock’s Juneteenth celebrations. Warriors like Andrè inspire us to fly higher every day – thank you for joining us at the nest, Andrè!

bluebird bio is proud to be part of the Sickle Cell Disease Partnership and echo their sentiment – while we celebrate the successes and many contributors in the sickle cell community, we acknowledge the progress still needed and remain committed to collaborating to advance health care for all Americans living with #sicklecelldisease.

Today is #Juneteenth and we're taking the time to recognize the importance of addressing the systemic inequalities that continue to affect many communities, including those living with sickle cell disease. We encourage you to take a moment to reflect on this important day in American history.

Warriors and advocates, like Charlotte Curtis, are working to fight misinformation and educate about the impact of #sicklecelldisease. By uplifting voices in the community who are dedicated to improving care and reducing stigma, we can help make meaningful change for people living with sickle cell disease and their families. This #WorldSickleCellDay, challenge yourself to learn more about the sickle cell community and the importance of supporting the diverse experiences of people living with sickle cell.

The flock had an amazing time at Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research’s 18th Annual Sickle Cell Disease Research & Educational Symposium. Our birds were grateful for the opportunity to attend and hear from leaders and members of the #sicklecell community. As Shanna Gillis, Manager of Patient Advocacy, shared: “My first experience at FSCDR was phenomenal! The level of authentic engagement with the community and the thought-provoking educational opportunities were unmatched. I’m looking forward to bringing all my learnings back to the nest so the flock can continue to grow and improve.”

Last week, members of the flock migrated to #BIO2024. Here are some of the highlights of our team flying high: ➟ We shared perspective (and some hard-won lessons!) from a decade of gene therapy leadership during a fireside chat with Andrew Dunn from Endpoints News. ➟ We facilitated a conversation among pioneers from across the healthcare ecosystem who are blazing the trail for gene therapy access in the commercial setting. ➟ We took a training hike for Luke Timmerman's Timmerman Traverse with others from across the industry who are committed to paying it forward. ➟ We heard BIO International Convention’s new CEO John F. Crowley talk about his vision for the industry and the importance of keeping patients at the heart of our work, specifically sharing the New York Times piece highlighting sickle cell disease gene therapy. ➟ We connected with advocates and other innovators who are committed to changing the world for patients and families. ➟ We celebrated how far we’ve come and all that is ahead – for bluebird, for the field of gene therapy, and for patients and their families.

We asked some of the newest members of the bluebird bio flock: “Why do you fly?” Hear from members of the bPACE (bluebird Patient And Community Education) and my bluebird support flocks about why they are excited to educate and empower people living with severe genetic diseases. You may see them around at upcoming community events, so be sure to say hi and ask them more about why they fly! #SickleCellAwareness

Today, bluebird bio occupies a unique space as a standalone commercial gene therapy company. We are excited to share perspective from a decade of gene therapy leadership and continue learning from other pioneers in the field at #BIO2024. Come say hi if you’ll be in San Diego this week!