Keesha L. Powell-Roach, A Robert Wood Johnson Future of Nursing Scholar Alumnus, is a Pain Scientist and a Sickle Cell Researcher. Dr. Roach’s innovative research integrates genomic, proteomic, and psychosocial variables to investigate pain phenotypes and the effects on organ systems and quality of life in adults living with sickle cell disease (SCD). She was among the first to establish quantitative sensory testing reference values for healthy, pain-free African American adults, revealing significantly higher pain sensitivity stimuli than previously recognized. These finding are crucial for correcting misconceptions among health professionals regarding African American pain sensitivity. Dr. Roach has developed pain modules and contributed to a train-the trainer model targeting health disparities in the rural Mid-South Delta region, impacting over 2,000 individuals with sickle cell disease. She serves as Chairman of the Board for the International Association of Sickle Cell Nurses and Professional Associates. Her research has received continuous NIH funding since 2015, supported by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institute on Aging, and the National Human Genome Research Institute. Dr. Powell-Roach received her ABSN from Loyola University Chicago, a MS from DePaul University, and a PhD from the University of Illinois Chicago, and completed a pain science T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Florida College of Dentistry.