In Memoriam, Carlton Haywood, Jr. (1976-2021)

Our friend and colleague Carlton Haywood, Jr., MA, PhD, passed away on December 31, 2021. Dr. Haywood was a beloved colleague, an assistant professor in the Berman Institute of Bioethics and in the Division of Hematology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and core faculty at the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research.

Dr. Carlton Haywood, Jr. was a leader in sickle cell disease (SCD) clinical research and bioethics, who died on December 31, 2021, at the age of 46. In his short but impactful career, Dr. Haywood’s distinguished scholarship and advocacy challenged the medical community to address significant injustices and deficiencies in the care of people with SCD.

Carlton was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1976. A serious and ambitious student, he earned undergraduate admission to the University of Virginia (UVA), where he found his calling as a bioethicist. Dr. Haywood graduated from UVA in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies/Bioethics and in 2003 with a master’s degree in Bioethics.

Keen to pursue doctoral studies in Bioethics, Carlton came to Johns Hopkins University and, in 2008, graduated with a PhD in Health Policy and Bioethics. Upon graduation, he joined the Johns Hopkins University faculty in the Division of Hematology and the Berman Institute of Bioethics.

Dr. Haywood was a unique and creative scholar who had both the talent and tenacity to lead impactful, internationally recognized research on the medical condition with which he lived. Hisscholarship highlighted issues of injustice and paved the way for improving the overall quality of care for those living with SCD.

Dr. Haywood worked generously as a mentor to numerous students, trainees, and junior faculty – both at Johns Hopkins and beyond.

Dr. Haywood’s service to the SCD community was also quite extensive. He served on numerous local, regional, and national advisory committees convened to solicit expert guidance on SCD-focused initiatives.

Dr. Haywood was an active speaker at the national level. He frequently gave guest lectures in academic courses and grand rounds at universities and medical schools across the country, and was also a highly sought after speaker for workshops, seminars, and conferences that focused on SCD research and advocacy.

Among the many awards and honours that Dr. Haywood achieved was his 2009 induction into the Alpha Chapter of the Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society and his recognition by the Ebony magazine editorial team as one of the 100 most influential African Americans in the country who were so honored for “changing the course of history and making an enduring and lasting impact in their communities and the world.”

That he was a brilliant scholar is clear, but Carlton was also resilient, generous, patient, and kind. Under almost any circumstance, he had faith and saw the best in people. He had a fierce love for his friends and especially his family.

Dr. Haywood’s early death reminds us of the urgent need to address the profound and persistent suffering that gravely limits the lives of so many people living with SCD.

Dr. Haywood envisioned a world that honors the human dignity of each person living with SCD, and provides those persons with appropriate and timely treatment.

Although his presence is missed, his vision continues to illuminate the path ahead.