Courtney Fitzhugh
Power Words
Where were you born?
Los Angeles, California
What school did you attend?
University of California, Los Angeles for undergrad and University of California, San Francisco for medical school.
What IC do you work for?
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
How many years have you worked at the NIH?
13 years
What gained you interest in the NIH?
I took a year off from medical school between my 3rd and 4th year to work at the NIH doing research through the Clinical Research Training Program (now called Medical Research Scholars Program).
What kind of work do you do at the NIH?
I am a physician scientist and have my own laboratory. I take care of adults with sickle cell disease, and my research involves bone marrow transplantation with the goal of developing a widely available cure.
What message would you like to send to young Blacks who are considering going to college?
Discover what makes you happy so that you will enjoy going to work every day. Work hard because sacrifice now will lead to many rewards later, but also make time to have fun.
Why did you choose to pursue a career in research?
To help improve the lives of patients with sickle cell disease.
What would you say is your most significant contribution to science or medicine?
Being able to perform half-matched donor transplants for patients with sickle cell disease which extends the donor pool and remove this debilitating illness which negatively impacts their quality and quantity of life.
Regarding your career here at NIH, what accomplishment are you the most proud of?
While more progress needs to be made, I'm very proud of successfully transplanting some patients so that they no longer have sickle cell disease.