Message From the President

 

It is a pleasure to welcome you to NATFonline.org, the official website of the North American Thrombosis Forum (NATF).

As we enter into our third year, NATF’s experiences have clearly shown that there is, indeed, the need for a group that speaks to all who wish to decrease the burden of heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, and DVT. We have reached out to scientists, healthcare professionals, government officials, and patients. The response has been enthusiastic and proactive. The most common question posed is: “How can I help?”

As an organization devoted to fostering excellence and catalyzing progress in the broad field of clotting disorders and illnesses, we make every effort to provide timely and comprehensive information for both healthcare professionals and the general public. This website includes a wealth of information and resources, and I hope you will take the time to navigate through our newly improved content.

eThrombosis, NATF’s online monthly thrombosis journal, is dedicated to bringing you original, timely articles on thrombosis diagnosis, treatment, and prevention from the premier leaders in the field, as well as a section devoted to “Future Leaders” in thrombosis research and prevention. eForum, a unique online discussion forum, has recently been added to the site, furthering the discussion of thrombosis among professionals and patients.

Our Education page is a comprenensive listing of thrombosis Live and Online educational programs. NATF sponsors two annual programs: the Thrombosis Prevention Forum, geared to patients and health care providers, and the North American Thrombosis Summit, a comprehensive overview of thrombosis research, prevention and education, public policy, and advocacy.

Visit our Research page to learn more about the NATF Traveling Fellowship, an opportunity for junior faculty, fellow/trainee physicians, scientists, nurses, or pharmacists from North America to expand their fund of knowledge and build positive, enduring relationships with others in the field of thrombotic disorders. Our first recipient, Ousama Dabbagh, MD, from the University of Missouri Medical Center, recently completed his fellowship. We are excited to have expanded the program for 2008, welcoming two new Fellows: Emma Jones, MD, from Texas Children’s Hospital, and Maichi Tran, PharmD, from UMass Memorial Medical Center.

Public policy and patient advocacy are the very heart of thrombosis treatment and prevention. Visit our Policy and Advocacy pages to learn about how patients, policy makers, and thrombosis physician champions are changing the face of thrombosis awareness. In September, the United States Surgeon General took a tremendous step forward, issuing a “Call To Action” for thrombosis prevention. We also continue to support efforts at the State level for recognition of Thrombosis Awareness, and have already achieved success in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as Governor Deval Patrick has declared November as Thrombosis Awareness Month statewide.

Moving into 2009, our plans for NATF are ambitious. We seek to broaden our sources of support so that we can continue our good works. Many patients, families, and friends have donated money as well as their personal time and effort to the NATF. We also continue to enjoy a modicum of success with contributions from industry and from private philanthropists. Visit our Donate and Sponsor page for more information.

As President of NATF, I invite you to register for free membership and become involved in our organization.

 

Samuel Z. Goldhaber, MD – President, NATF

 

 

NATF Board of Directors

Samuel Z. Goldhaber, MD - President, NATF

sgoldhaber@partners.org
Samuel Z. Goldhaber, MD, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, is a Senior Staff Member of the Cardiovascular Medicine Division of Brigham and Women’s Hospital.  He is Director of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) Venous Thromboembolism Research Group and Director of the Anticoagulation Service.  Dr. Goldhaber is Principal Investigator of a broad range of randomized clinical trials and observational studies related to the prevention, treatment, and epidemiology of venous thromboembolism.

Dr. Goldhaber co-directs four Harvard Medical School Continuing Medical Education courses:  1) a 1-day course that focuses on prevention of thrombosis (February 15, 2007), 2) a 5-day course reviewing all aspects of cardiovascular medicine (May 20-24, 2007), 3) a 1-day North American Thrombosis Summit (September 29, 2007), and 4) a 2-day course reviewing thrombosis and thromboembolism (October 8-9, 2008). 

In May 2006, he co-chaired the 2-day Surgeon General’s Workshop on DVT, which was cosponsored by the NHLBI.  This Workshop will lead to the Surgeon General’s planned 2007 “Call To Action” on DVT.  He also serves on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and National Quality Forum to formulate new treatment and prevention guidelines for venous thromboembolism.  In November 2006, he served on a special NHLBI committee examining the pharmacogenetics of warfarin.

Jawed Fareed, PhD - Vice President, NATF

jfareed@lumc.edu
Jawed Fareed is Professor of Pathology and Pharmacology and Director of the Hemostasis and Thrombosis Research Laboratories at Loyola University Medical Center, Chicago, IL.  Dr. Fareed's main research interest is the development of novel anticoagulant and antithrombotic drugs.  He is recognized for his role in the preclinical development and initiating the first clinical trials of low-molecular-weight heparin and antithrombin agents in acute coronary syndromes. In addition, he has authored and co-authored more than 400 publications in this area.

Dr. Fareed's professional affiliations include membership on the expert panel on biologicals for the World Health Organization, and fellowships of the American Heart Association, the American College of Angiology, and the Indian College of Interventional Cardiology.  He also is currently President of the South Asian Society of Atherosclerosis. Together with Professor Hans Klaus Breddin, Dr. Fareed founded the International Institute of Blood and Vascular Disorders, Frankfurt, Germany, of which he is currently the Associate Director.

Arthur A. Sasahara, MD - Director, NATF

aasasahara@comcast.net
Dr. Sasahara is Senior Physician, Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Professor of Medicine, Emeritus, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.  Dr. Sasahara is currently Co-Director of the Venous Thromboembolism Research Group at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He obtained his M.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and his Residency in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at Tufts, Harvard, and Yale University hospitals.  He held the positions of Chief of Cardiology and Chief of Medicine at the Harvard-affiliated West Roxbury Veterans Affairs Medical Center for almost 30 years, as well as being Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.  In 1987, he began a 10 year leave of absence and joined Abbott Laboratories as the first Venture Head, Thrombolysis Research.  In 1993, he became Senior Venture Head and in 1995, Senior Medical Consultant, Research and Development, Pharmaceutical Products Division.  His major research interests are in the field of thrombolysis, hemostasis, and thrombosis.  His publications include approximately 300 scientific papers and 6 books.

John Fanikos, RPh, MBA - Director and Treasurer, NATF

jfanikos@partners.org
John Fanikos, RPh, MBA, is the Assistant Director of Pharmacy at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) in Boston, MA. He is also an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy Practice at both Northeastern University and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, where he received his B.S. in Pharmacy in 1984. He completed an American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists (ASHP) accredited residency program at BWH in 1985 and received his M.B.A. from Northeastern University in 1994. He is a member of various professional societies, among them the ASHP, the Massachusetts Society of Health System Pharmacists, and the New England Council of Hospital Pharmacists. He currently represents the New England states on the Novation Clinical Pharmacy Council. He has served in a number of difference roles at BWH ranging from investigational drug pharmacist to inpatient and outpatient pharmacy supervisor, to clinical preceptor to pharmacy administrator. Through his pharmacy practice he has worked with orthopedic, oncology, cardiology, and general medicine patients. Over the past 10 years he has worked closely with the BWH Venous Thromboembolism Service and authored/co-authored many articles on the complications of anticoagulation therapy. 

Jeanine M. Walenga, PhD - Director, NATF

jwaleng@lumc.edu
Jeanine M. Walenga is a Professor in the Departments of Thoracic-Cardiovascular Surgery, and Pathology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA, Co-Director of the Hemostasis and Thrombosis Research Laboratories, Director of the Clinical Reference Laboratory for Diagnostic Testing of Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT), and Associate Director of the Clinical Laboratories for Coagulation, Near Patient Testing, and Urinalysis/Body Fluid Analysis. Dr. Walenga received her graduate and postgraduate education at the University of Illinois (Champaign and Chicago) and the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris VI, Paris, France, in the fields of medical laboratory sciences and pharmacology. She is a certified medical technologist by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists and the National Certification Agency for Clinical Laboratory Scientists. Dr. Walenga’s areas of interest include mechanisms of thrombosis, new antithrombotic drugs, and clinical laboratory testing. She participates in graduate and postgraduate teaching in the Stritch School of Medicine, basic and translational research, and clinical laboratory service. She has published over 200 manuscripts, book chapters, and invited papers, and she actively participates in national and international scientific and educational forums.