Angela Rivers, MD, PhD

Angela Rivers, PhD, MD is a Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist. It is her career goal to work to improve the lives of both children and adults with sickle cell disease. She has been Principal Investigator for several high-profile studies and received extramural research funding from government agencies, pharmaceutical companies focused on sickle cell drug therapeutics, and the NIH/NHLBI (including K01, R03, and R01 grants). Dr. Rivers is currently the principal investigator of the Rivers Lab. Based in the Department of Pediatrics-Hematology, at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, Rivers Lab is the first to publish the novel discovery that there is a higher presence of red blood cells (RBC) containing mitochondria in sickle cell disease (SCD) mice and human patients compared to normal controls.
Education
Fellowship, 2010 - Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Florida
Resident, 2006 - Internal Medicine/Pediatrics, University of South Florida
MD, 2002 - Medicine, Stanford University
PhD, 1998 - Biomedical Science, Meharry Medical College
BA, 1993 - Liberal Arts, Simons Rock College of Bard

  1. Strunk C, Rivers A, Segbefia C, Colombatti R, Tartaglione I, Manwani D, Asare EV, Piccone CM, Boruchov D, Zempsky WT, Dankwah Boatemaa G, Mahesh Ramachandra Rao S, Akatue S, Oteng B, Owda A, Bamfo R, Wilson SR, Farooq F, Urbonya R, Barber J, Sey F, Inusa B, Antwi-Boasiako C, Andemariam B, Campbell AD. International variations in body mass index within the CASiRe global cohort of sickle cell disease patients. Journal of Sickle Cell Disease 2025. PMID: 41393099


  2. Ramasamy J, Punathil Kannan PK, Dhavamani S, Palanimuthu S, Molokie R, Rivers A. Mitochondrial retention and autophagy dysregulation drive oxidative stress in sickle cell disease erythrocytes. Experimental hematology 2025. PMID: 41046099


  3. Soupene E, Horneman H, Alejandro M, Mohammed K, Nyansa Ansong-Ansongton YO, Rivers A. Dual Assessment of the RBC Fraction Abnormally Retaining Mitochondria and of the RBC Mitochondrial Load Provides a New Clinical Parameter for Sickle Cell Disease Patients. eJHaem 2025. PMID: 40873469


  4. Principe DR, Reilly P, Dhavamani S, Rivers A, Molokie R, Hsu LL, Ramasamy J. Hereditary Spherocytosis with Mitochondrial Retention, Increased Oxidative Stress, and Alterations to Bioactive Membrane Lipids. Journal of pediatric hematology/oncology 2024. PMID: 38934620


  5. Segbefia C, Campbell J, Tartaglione I, Asare EV, Andemariam B, Zempsky W, Colombatti R, Boatemaa GD, Boruchov D, Rao S, Piccone CM, Smith A, Haile H, Kim E, Wilson S, Farooq F, Urbonya R, Rivers A, Manwani D, Gai J, Sey F, Inusa B, Antwi-Boasiako C, Strunk C, Campbell AD. Pain Frequency and Health Care Utilization Patterns in Women with Sickle Cell Disease Experiencing Menstruation-Associated Pain Crises. Journal of women's health (2002) 2023. PMID: 38011013


  6. Lavelle D, Ibanez V, Vaitkus K, Zhang X, Ramasamy J, Rivers AE, Saunthararajah Y, Molokie R. Combinatorial targeting of epigenome-modifying enzymes with small molecule drugs synergistically increases HbF. Blood advances 2023. PMID: 36884303


  7. Gallivan A, Alejandro M, Kanu A, Zekaryas N, Horneman H, Hong LK, Vinchinsky E, Lavelle D, Diamond AM, Molokie RE, Ramasamy J, Rivers A. Reticulocyte mitochondrial retention increases reactive oxygen species and oxygen consumption in mouse models of sickle cell disease and phlebotomy-induced anemia. Experimental hematology 2023. PMID: 36934777


  8. Zempsky WT, Yanaros M, Sayeem M, Boruchov D, Piccone CM, Manwani D, Strunk C, Tartaglione I, Colombatti R, Akatue S, Oteng B, Owda A, Bamfo R, Wilson S, Rivers A, Farooq F, Urbonya R, Boatemaa GD, Rao S, Inusa B, Antwi-Boasiako C, Segbefia C, Sey F, Andemariam B, Asare EV, Campbell AD. Pain Burden in the CASiRe International Cohort of Sickle Cell Patients: United States and Ghana. Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) 2022. PMID: 35166851


  9. Strunk C, Tartaglione I, Piccone CM, Colombatti R, Andemariam B, Manwani D, Smith A, Haile H, Kim E, Wilson S, Asare EV, Rivers A, Farooq F, Urbonya R, Boruchov D, Boatemaa GD, Perrotta S, Ekem I, Sainati L, Rao S, Zempsky W, Sey F, Antwi-Boasiako C, Segbefia C, Inusa B, Campbell AD. Global geographic differences in healthcare utilization for sickle cell disease pain crises in the CASiRe cohort. Blood cells, molecules & diseases 2021. PMID: 34564050


  10. Mittal N, Loughran T, Rivers A. T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia successfully treated with oral cyclosporine in a child: Case report and review of literature. Pediatric blood & cancer 2020. PMID: 32589344


  11. Campbell AD, Colombatti R, Andemariam B, Strunk C, Tartaglione I, Piccone CM, Manwani D, Asare EV, Boruchov D, Farooq F, Urbonya R, Boatemaa GD, Perrotta S, Sainati L, Rivers A, Rao S, Zempsky W, Sey F, Segbefia C, Inusa B, Antwi-Boasiako C. An Analysis of Racial and Ethnic Backgrounds Within the CASiRe International Cohort of Sickle Cell Disease Patients: Implications for Disease Phenotype and Clinical Research. 2020. PMID: 32418182


  12. Antwi-Boasiako C, Andemariam B, Colombatti R, Asare EV, Strunk C, Piccone CM, Manwani D, Boruchov D, Farooq F, Urbonya R, Wilson S, Boatemaa GD, Perrotta S, Sainati L, Rivers A, Rao S, Zempsky W, Ekem I, Sey F, Segbefia C, Inusa B, Tartaglione I, Campbell AD. A study of the geographic distribution and associated risk factors of leg ulcers within an international cohort of sickle cell disease patients: the CASiRe group analysis. 2020. PMID: 32377816


  13. Rivers A, Molokie R, Lavelle D. A new target for fetal hemoglobin reactivation. Haematologica 2019. PMID: 31787612


  14. Rivers A, Vaitkus K, Jagadeeswaran R, Ruiz MA, Ibanez V, Ciceri F, Cavalcanti F, Molokie RE, Saunthararajah Y, Engel JD, DeSimone J, Lavelle D. Oral administration of the LSD1 inhibitor ORY-3001 increases fetal hemoglobin in sickle cell mice and baboons. Experimental hematology 2018. PMID: 30125603


  15. Rivers A, Jagadeeswaran R, Lavelle D. Potential role of LSD1 inhibitors in the treatment of sickle cell disease: a review of preclinical animal model data. 2018. PMID: 30067082


  16. Jagadeeswaran R, Rivers A. Evolving treatment paradigms in sickle cell disease. Hematology. American Society of Hematology. Education Program 2017. PMID: 29222291


  17. Jagadeeswaran R, Vazquez BA, Thiruppathi M, Ganesh BB, Ibanez V, Cui S, Engel JD, Diamond AM, Molokie RE, DeSimone J, Lavelle D, Rivers A. Pharmacological inhibition of LSD1 and mTOR reduces mitochondrial retention and associated ROS levels in the red blood cells of sickle cell disease. 2017. PMID: 28238805


  18. Ibanez V, Vaitkus K, Rivers A, Molokie R, Cui S, Engel JD, DeSimone J, Lavelle D. Efficacy and safety of long-term RN-1 treatment to increase HbF in baboons. Blood 2016. PMID: 27908882


  19. Rivers A, Vaitkus K, Ibanez V, Ruiz MA, Jagadeeswaran R, Saunthararajah Y, Cui S, Engel JD, DeSimone J, Lavelle D. The LSD1 inhibitor RN-1 recapitulates the fetal pattern of hemoglobin synthesis in baboons (P. anubis). Haematologica 2016. PMID: 26858356


  20. Han J, Kemiki O, Hsu LL, Rivers AE. Adverse Reactions to Pneumococcal Vaccine in Pediatric and Adolescent Patients with Sickle Cell Disease. 2015. PMID: 26095207


  21. Cui S, Lim KC, Shi L, Lee M, Jearawiriyapaisarn N, Myers G, Campbell A, Harro D, Iwase S, Trievel RC, Rivers A, DeSimone J, Lavelle D, Saunthararajah Y, Engel JD. The LSD1 inhibitor RN-1 induces fetal hemoglobin synthesis and reduces disease pathology in sickle cell mice. Blood 2015. PMID: 26031919


  22. Rivers A, Vaitkus K, Ruiz MA, Ibanez V, Jagadeeswaran R, Kouznetsova T, DeSimone J, Lavelle D. RN-1, a potent and selective lysine-specific demethylase 1 inhibitor, increases γ-globin expression, F reticulocytes, and F cells in a sickle cell disease mouse model. 2015. PMID: 25931013


  23. Ruiz MA, Rivers A, Ibanez V, Vaitkus K, Mahmud N, DeSimone J, Lavelle D. Hydroxymethylcytosine and demethylation of the ?-globin gene promoter during erythroid differentiation. Epigenetics 2015. PMID: 25932923


  24. Pandya J, Ortiz L, Ling C, Rivers AE, Aslanidi G. Rationally designed capsid and transgene cassette of AAV6 vectors for dendritic cell-based cancer immunotherapy. 2013. PMID: 24217810


  25. Song L, Kauss MA, Kopin E, Chandra M, Ul-Hasan T, Miller E, Jayandharan GR, Rivers AE, Aslanidi GV, Ling C, Li B, Ma W, Li X, Andino LM, Zhong L, Tarantal AF, Yoder MC, Wong KK, Tan M, Chatterjee S, Srivastava A. Optimizing the transduction efficiency of capsid-modified AAV6 serotype vectors in primary human hematopoietic stem cells in vitro and in a xenograft mouse model in vivo. 2013. PMID: 23830234


  26. Choe SW, Terman DS, Rivers AE, Rivera J, Lottenberg R, Sorg BS. Drug-loaded sickle cells programmed ex vivo for delayed hemolysis target hypoxic tumor microvessels and augment tumor drug delivery. 2013. PMID: 23871960


  27. Aslanidi GV, Rivers AE, Ortiz L, Song L, Ling C, Govindasamy L, Van Vliet K, Tan M, Agbandje-McKenna M, Srivastava A. Optimization of the capsid of recombinant adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2) vectors: the final threshold? 2013. PMID: 23527116


  28. Aslanidi GV, Rivers AE, Ortiz L, Govindasamy L, Ling C, Jayandharan GR, Zolotukhin S, Agbandje-McKenna M, Srivastava A. High-efficiency transduction of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells by capsid-modified recombinant AAV2 vectors. 2012. PMID: 22497875


  29. Jayandharan GR, Zhong L, Sack BK, Rivers AE, Li M, Li B, Herzog RW, Srivastava A. Optimized adeno-associated virus (AAV)-protein phosphatase-5 helper viruses for efficient liver transduction by single-stranded AAV vectors: therapeutic expression of factor IX at reduced vector doses. 2010. PMID: 19788390


  30. Rivers A, Slayton WB. Congenital cytopenias and bone marrow failure syndromes. 2009. PMID: 19167578


  31. Slayton WB, Patel M, Sola-Visner M, Harris N, Rivers A, Montgomery RR, Friedman KD. Type 2B von Willebrand disease associated with the release of platelet agglutinates from megakaryocytes in the bone marrow. 2008. PMID: 18776767


  32. Maina N, Zhong L, Li X, Zhao W, Han Z, Bischof D, Aslanidi G, Zolotukhin S, Weigel-Van Aken KA, Rivers AE, Slayton WB, Yoder MC, Srivastava A. Optimization of recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors for human beta-globin gene transfer and transgene expression. 2008. PMID: 18399730