Funmi Dasaolu is a Learning Disability Nurse working in Oxford, and a postgraduate student studying at King’s College London. She is also a Trustee of CAN. Funmi lives with Sickle Cell Disease and her experiences as a patient, alongside those working professionally, have sparked her interest in research. She is nearly at the end of my Master’s Degree in clinical research, and is now planning a PhD research project. This will focus on Cognitive Impairment, Learning Difficulties and Intellectual (Learning) Disabilities in Sickle Cell.
Funmi says: “Having thoroughly reviewed the literature in these areas, I discovered developmental and neurodevelopmental delay is common in those with Sickle Cell Disease. People can experience cognitive challenges when they have experienced a stroke, but, interestingly, research also shows people experience challenges when they have not had a stroke.
Research has been done around strokes in children and cognitive impairment; however, cognitive impairment in adults is under researched. We also do not know how cognition changes as people with Sickle Cell age.
But we do know experiencing cognitive difficulties and Sickle Cell has a significant impact on people’s everyday lives. Because of this, I am interested in how the above conditions might affect adults living with Sickle Cell, and their abilities to do everyday activities like manage medications, hospital appointments, work, and study.
I would also like to explore how healthcare professionals can provide better care for these individuals. This will be the focus of my PhD.
If you live with Sickle Cell and Cognitive Impairment, Learning Difficulties or Intellectual (Learning) Disabilities, I would like to hear from you.
I am also keen to speak to carers, family members and healthcare professionals. These conversations will focus on individual experiences and I aim to use them to help shape and inform planning of the research project. Please get in touch if you can help; in the first instance by emailing me.