Rate My Professor Angela Rivers

Angela Rivers, MD, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics-Hematology at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, serving as a Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist and Principal Investigator of the Rivers Lab. Her academic background includes a BA in Liberal Arts from Simons Rock College of Bard in 1993, a PhD in Biomedical Science from Meharry Medical College in 1998, and an MD in Medicine from Stanford University in 2002. She completed a residency in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics at the University of South Florida in 2006 and a fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the University of Florida in 2010.

Dr. Rivers specializes in sickle cell disease research, investigating erythrocyte mitochondrial retention, mitophagy as a therapeutic target, oxidative stress in SCD erythrocytes, fetal hemoglobin reactivation, and AAV vectors for SCD phenotypic correction. Her Rivers Lab pioneered the discovery of elevated mitochondria-containing red blood cells in SCD patients and mouse models compared to controls. She has obtained extramural funding from NIH/NHLBI, including K01, R03, and R01 grants, as well as from pharmaceutical companies developing SCD therapeutics. Notable publications include 'Mitochondrial retention and autophagy dysregulation drive oxidative stress in sickle cell disease erythrocytes' (Experimental Hematology, 2025), 'Role of Menstrual Bleeding Assessments in Sickle Cell Clinics' (JAMA Network Open, 2025), '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), 'Reticulocyte mitochondrial retention increases reactive oxygen species and oxygen consumption in mouse models of sickle cell disease and phlebotomy-induced anemia' (Experimental Hematology, 2023), 'Pain Burden in the CASiRe International Cohort of Sickle Cell Patients: United States and Ghana' (Pain Medicine, 2022), and 'Global geographic differences in healthcare utilization for sickle cell disease pain crises in the CASiRe cohort' (Blood Cells, Molecules, and Diseases, 2021). Dr. Rivers received the John A. Watson Faculty Scholar award and works to improve outcomes for children and adults with sickle cell disease.