ISTH World Thrombosis Day campaign announces new campaign leadership

The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) today announced the appointment of James Douketis, M.D., as Chair of its World Thrombosis Day (WTD) campaign and Kathleen Freson, Ph.D., as Vice Chair. In their new leadership roles, Douketis and Freson will serve as members of the ISTH Council, providing strategic leadership and oversight for the campaign.

Led by the ISTH, the World Thrombosis Day awareness campaign is dedicated to increasing understanding of thrombosis and its potentially life-threatening consequences. Observed annually on October 13, World Thrombosis Day’s global reach extends to more than 6 billion people across more than 190 countries each year.

Douketis serves as Staff Physician in General Internal Medicine and Clinical Thromboembolism at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and a Professor of Medicine at McMaster University in Canada.

Freson serves as a Professor in the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, at the University of Leuven in Belgium.

The new leadership will help guide the World Thrombosis Day 2026 campaign, which focuses on women’s health and raises awareness about the unique risks women face across every stage of life, from adolescence through pregnancy, postpartum, midlife and menopause.

For more information and to get involved, visit www.worldthrombosisday.org.