Alecia Nero, M.D.

Internal Medicine - Hematology/Oncology
Medical Treatment of Anemias
Medical Treatment of Blood Clotting Disorders

Biography

Alecia Nero, M.D., is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and a member of its Division of Hematology and Oncology. She specializes in sickle cell disease and other hemoglobin disorders and anemias, and serves as Director of the Sickle Cell Transition Program and the Adult Sickle Cell Program.

Originally from the U.S. Virgin Islands, she holds bachelor's degrees in mathematics and biology from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. She earned her medical degree at UT Southwestern before completing a residency in internal medicine-pediatrics and a fellowship in hematology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She also earned a master's degree in clinical sciences from UT Southwestern's Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Her research interest in sickle cell disease has resulted in numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals, and she has been invited to present her findings at scientific conferences throughout the U.S. She is also actively involved as a principal investigator or co-investigator on several clinical trials evaluating the safety and effectiveness of experimental treatments.

Dr. Nero is frequently featured as a sickle cell disease expert in local and national media.

She is a dedicated volunteer for patient advocacy groups and community health and wellness events, and serves as a mentor to medical students, trainees, and faculty members.

Dr. Nero is an active member of numerous professional organizations, including the American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, National Medical Association, American Society of Hematology, CV Roman Medical Society, E.E. Just Medical Society, Sickle Cell Adult Provider Network, Foundation for Women and Girls with Blood Disorders, Texas Medical Association, and Dallas County Medical Society.

Personal Note

Dr. Nero’s interests outside of medicine include spending time with her family and reading for leisure.

Meet Dr. Nero

Hematologist Specializing in Sickle Cell Disease

For people with sickle cell disease (SCD), an inherited blood disorder, adolescence is a critical time, says Alecia Nero, M.D.

A hematology specialist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dr. Nero cares for patients with non-malignant (non-cancerous) blood and bone-marrow conditions that include sickle cell disease, abnormal blood counts and a range of anemias and platelet disorders, including thrombocythemia.

“I want to have a dialogue about the ways we can, together, take care of you.”

Dr. Nero also leads UT Southwestern’s pioneering Transition Sickle Cell Program, which educates adolescents with sickle cell disease about their condition, teaches them to manage their own health, prepares them for the adult medical system to which they transition at age 18, and helps them develop relationships with the post-transition providers who will care for them.

“I try to educate patients – not make choices for them – and prepare them for what they need to know when they’re making decisions that affect their health,” she says. “There are a lot of nuances for every individual in addition to their health status, and I try to consider those and gauge where each person is.”

Dr. Nero also counsels sickle cell disease patients – both before and after they are sexually active – about the implications of having this inherited disease when they start families.

“Because these patients – depending on their mate’s carrier status – have a risk of having a child with sickle cell disease, patient care includes family planning,” she says. “I welcome my patients to invite their partners to participate in this discussion during clinic visits so they can make informed choices as a couple.”

This underscores Dr. Nero’s philosophy that communication and working together are critical to keeping patients as healthy as possible.

“I view patient care as a partnership, and I tell patients that I need them to weigh in as much as I weigh in so we can come to a place where we’re both happy,” she says.

“Often in medicine, we see people during some of the worst times of their lives, and I feel so honored and lucky when patients trust me to care for them,” Dr. Nero says.

“I’m proud to be able to advocate for them and to participate in their lives, their health, and their families.”

Education & Training

Residency - Case Western Reserve University (2004-2008), Internal Medicine & Pediatrics
Fellowship - Case Western Reserve University (2009-2011), Hematology Oncology
Medical School - UT Southwestern Medical School (1998-2004)