World Thrombosis Day Campaign Welcomes New Thrombosis Experts from Six Countries to Scientific Steering Committee

Incoming Members Represent Diverse Experience and Leadership to Shine a Spotlight on Thrombosis Globally

CHAPEL HILL, NC, USA, (January 13, 2022) —   The World Thrombosis Day campaign, led by the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH), today announced the appointment of seven new members to its scientific Steering Committee, including six global medical experts and one patient representative.

World Thrombosis Day, recognized annually on 13 October, focuses attention on the often overlooked and misunderstood condition of thrombosis, also known as blood clots, with the goal of increasing global awareness and ultimately reducing death and disability caused by the condition.

With the campaign in its ninth year, the World Thrombosis Day Steering Committee continues to monitor the ever-changing science and research landscape to ensure the information shared via the campaign is accurate and up-to-date. The Steering Committee publishes papers, contributes to global messaging and surveys awareness with patients as well as healthcare professionals.

Comprised of medical experts in the fields of hematology, thrombosis and hemostasis, vascular and general internal medicine, and public health, the campaign is led by Chair Prof. Beverley Hunt, O.B.E., (United Kingdom) and Vice Chair Claire McLintock, M.D. (New Zealand).

Following a competitive application and review process, the following new Steering Committee members begin their term as of January 2022:

• Prof. Cihan Ay, M.D. (Medical University of Vienna, Austria)
• Jean M. Connors, M.D. (Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, USA)
• Prof. Lai Heng Lee, MBBS, MMed, FRCP(Edin), FAMS (Singapore General Hospital, Singapore)
• Prof. Eriko Morishita, M.D. (Kanazawa University Hospital, Japan)
• Dr. Helen Okoye, MBBS, FMCPath, FWACP (University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Nigeria)
• Todd Robertson (Patient Representative, USA)
• Prof. Charles Marc Samama, M.D., Ph.D., FCCP (Université de Paris, France)

“The World Thrombosis Day Steering Committee is honored to welcome such a well-respected and talented group of experts,” Prof. Hunt said.  “The World Thrombosis Day campaign prioritizes diverse representation across all regions of the world, and this is well-represented in the geographic locations of our new committee members. We are excited to collaborate to further the campaign’s mission.”

The incoming Steering Committee members will serve a two-year term from 2022-2024 with the option for renewal. They join nine Steering Committee members currently serving from around the globe.

Pursuant to the ISTH’s formal committee rotation pattern, the following people recently rotated off the World Thrombosis Day Steering Committee after several years of dedicated service to the campaign: Walter Ageno (Italy), Henry Ddungu (Uganda), Kamila Jaszczor – Patient Representative (Poland), Fionnuala Ní Ainle (Ireland), Alex Spyropoulos (USA) and Tetsumei Urano (Japan).

For more information about the incoming Steering Committee members and their professional backgrounds, visit www.worldthrombosisday.org/about/founders/.

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About World Thrombosis Day
Launched in 2014 and held annually on 13 October, World Thrombosis Day aims to increase public, healthcare professional and health care systems’ awareness of thrombosis and, ultimately, reduce unnecessary deaths and disabilities from thromboembolic disease through a greater awareness of its causes, risk factors, signs and symptoms, and evidence-based prevention and treatment. The mission of World Thrombosis Day supports the World Health Assembly’s global target of reducing premature deaths by non-communicable disease by 25 percent by 2025, as well as the World Health Organization’s Thirteenth General Programme of Work 2019–2023, the Montevideo Roadmap 2018-2030 on NCDs and the Political Declaration of UNGA’ Third High-level Meeting on NCDs.

Visit www.worldthrombosisday.org for more information and to get involved.

About the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH)

Founded in 1969, the ISTH is the leading worldwide not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing the understanding, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of thrombotic and bleeding disorders. ISTH is an international professional membership organization with more than 7,500 clinicians, researchers, and educators working together to improve the lives of patients in more than 110 countries around the world. Among its highly regarded activities and initiatives are education and standardization programs, research activities, meetings and congresses, peer-reviewed publications, expert committees, and World Thrombosis Day on 13 October. Visit ISTH online at www.isth.org.

CONTACT:

Sam Nelson

Campaign Manager

Sam_Nelson@isth.org