Leadership
Mapillar Dahn-Flemister
Founder & Principal Strategist
Mapillar Dahn-Flemister is an internationally recognized sickle cell advocate, research advisor, and community engagement strategist whose work has helped shape conversations around patient engagement, clinical trial participation, and health equity in sickle cell disease.
Professional Overview
For more than a decade, Mapillar has worked at the intersection of patient advocacy, research collaboration, and policy engagement.
She is the Founder and Executive Director of the MTS Sickle Cell Foundation, a national patient-led organization dedicated to improving outcomes for individuals and families affected by sickle cell disease.
Through both the foundation and MTS Research Solutions, she has collaborated with academic investigators, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare organizations, and policymakers to strengthen the role of patient voices in clinical research and therapeutic innovation.
Scientific innovation moves fastest when communities trust the research behind it.
Leadership Roles
Mapillar currently serves in several leadership and advisory roles across the sickle cell ecosystem, including:
- Founder & Executive Director — MTS Sickle Cell Foundation, Inc.
- Chief Executive Officer — Blood Rheology Solutions
- Co-Chair — Global Perspectives Subcommittee, ASH Sickle Cell Disease Coalition
- Member — Pfizer Council for Change (Health Equity Advisory)
- Community Advisory Committee Member — UnitedHealthcare
- Member — Georgia Sickle Cell Disease Advisory Group
- Member — SolveSickle Stakeholder Advisory Committee
Recognition
Mapillar’s work has been recognized nationally for championing sickle cell awareness and support, advancing patient engagement and community-centered research.
- 2025 Patient Engagement Leaders Award - 1nHealth
- 2025 Capacity Building Award – Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia
- 2024 CBO of the Year - Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia
- 2024 CBO of the Year - Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia
- 2023 Capacity Building Award – Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia
- 2023 Humanitarian Award — Giselle Magazine
- 2020 Chief Tuazama Legacy Award - Tuazama Development Initiative
- 2020 Chief Tuazama Legacy Award - Tuazama Development Initiative
- 2019 Community Activist Award - Liberian Girls Rock
- 2019 Community Activist Award – ATL’s Hottest Special Awards
- 2019 Woman of Honor - TNT Entertainment
- 2018 Humanitarian of the Year – Liberian Entertainment Awards
- 2018 Sickle Cell Advocate Award - The Lockhart-Morgan Foundation for Sickle Cell Anemia
- 2017 Game Changer - Winning the Battles in Your Mind
- 2017 Classy Award - Classy Living Society
- 2016 Woman of Influence - Life Changers Club
Interested in partnering with MTS Research Solutions?
Trusted by Leaders Advancing Sickle Cell Research
