Understanding the Bigger Picture by Jaida

Understanding the Bigger Picture by Jaida - October 2026 Scholarship Essay

One academic project that sparked my curiosity was my research on gene therapy and sickle cell disease. My original research question was, “To what extent can gene therapy reduce the health disparities associated with sickle cell disease?” At first, I was mainly interested in learning how gene therapy could treat a disease that affects so many people. However, the more I researched, the more I realized that there was much more to the topic than just finding a treatment. I've understood that sickle cell disease could cause serious health problems, including pain and frequent hospital visits. Still, I didn’t know much about how gene therapy actually worked. As I researched treatments such as Casgevy and Lyfgenia, I learned that gene therapy can change a patient’s own blood-forming stem cells and potentially reduce many of the complications associated with sickle cell disease. Learning about the process, from collecting the patient’s stem cells to modifying them and returning them to the patient, made me realize how much science and research go into developing new treatments. What interested me most was discovering that creating an effective treatment is only one part of solving a health problem. I began looking into whether patients could actually access these treatments. I learned that gene therapy can require specialized medical centers, extensive treatment, and significant financial resources. This made me think about the difference between achieving a medical breakthrough and making it available to the people who need it. A treatment can potentially change someone’s life, but it cannot reduce health disparities if many patients cannot realistically access it. This project also changed the way I think about healthcare research. I used to think of medical research mostly as scientists trying to discover cures or treatments. Now I understand that researchers also have to consider who will benefit from those discoveries and what barriers could prevent people from receiving them. Researching sickle cell disease showed me how science, healthcare, economics, and access are all connected. This project made me more curious about the future of medicine. Gene therapy is still developing, and much more remains to be learned about how it can be used to treat various diseases. My research showed me that asking one question can lead to many more questions. What started as an interest in how gene therapy works became a deeper understanding of both medical innovation and the importance of making that innovation accessible. It reminded me that research isn’t just about finding answers; it is also about discovering which questions to ask next.