Letter from the Editor

 

It had been an absolute delight to have caught up with members of our THANZ community at the recent ISTH congress in London (post-"networking event" drinks with Dom/Phil et al into the wee hours of the morning and...Chris and Jenny, that night where we ended up at that swanky Japanese bar with a view of London was epic...).  It reminded me that despite the pandemic, this closeknit community of ours will always feel like a family where ever we meet.  And I hope that I will see you all in Sydney in a few weeks' time for Blood 2022...an event where we can celebrate together with our research, collaborations, and friendships.  Please enjoy this edition of the newsletter and I look forward to seeing you all at Blood 2022!!!  

 

xoxo,

Danny 

 

P.S.  Remind your friends and colleagues to join the THANZ family with a membership!  Support your local Thrombosis & Haemostasis community!!!  Let us grow together as a community :) 

 

 

Thanks to our Corporate Sponsor - Novo Nordisk

 

Our continued thanks go to Novo Nordisk for their on-going support of THANZ

 

 

Presidents Report

 

 

It has been a long, cold and wet winter.  But as I speak, the sun is shining through the windows, reminding us that spring will soon be here.  The imminent arrival of spring in September also reminds us at THANZ that the BLOOD 2022 conference and THANZ workshop is not too far away!

BLOOD 2022 in Sydney will be the first face-to-face BLOOD conference since BLOOD 2019 in Perth.  For many people, the time since BLOOD 2019 has been difficult and at times heartbreaking.  BLOOD 2022 gives us the chance to gather together, to enjoy meeting friends and colleagues face to face, as we appreciate the latest science and developments in our field.  We have a terrific line-up of international speakers, including Nichola Cooper, Matthew Rondina and Peter Verhamme, as well as local speakers speaking on a wide array of interesting topics covering the gamut of bleeding and clotting disorders.  There are also joint sessions involving ANZSBT and HSANZ, a testament to the spirit of collaboration between societies that has been fostered throughout the challenging pandemic.  For those with a particular interest in laboratory haemostasis and thrombosis, the THANZ workshop, with Dominic Pepperell at the helm, will cater to your tastes, with speaker topics ranging from acquired bleeding disorders, to VITT testing, to platelet function and also critical bleeding.  

BLOOD 2022 will also give attendees the opportunity to let their hair down, and leave it to our fantastic LOC, led ably by Danny Hsu and Caroline Reddel, to provide us with ample opportunities to have fun and relax, including the World Thrombosis Day (WTD) walk as well as the highly anticipated Gala Dinner.  Dressing up is highly encouraged for the Gala Dinner, where the theme will be the Roaring Twenties!  For those looking for inspiration for costumes, look no further than the films, The Great Gatsby and Midnight in Paris😊 

This newsletter will also cast our eye forward to World Thrombosis Day (WTD), held annually on October 13.  There is a WTD survey concerning the topic of thrombosis in malignancy, in which circulation and participation will be much appreciated.  This newsletter will also cast our eye back to ISTH 2022 in London.  From what I heard from attendees, the opportunity to catch up with like-minded clotters and bleeders from around the world in London was much valued and enjoyed, a feeling we hope to replicate in BLOOD 2022. 

So if you haven’t signed up for BLOOD 2022 and the THANZ workshop, what are you waiting for? I hope to see many of you in the vibrant city of Sydney very soon 😊

Best regards

Chee Wee Tan 

 
 

Secretary’s Report

 

Cherry Keragala

 

2022 has been flying by and THANZ has been busy preparing for the exciting pointy end of the year.

 

It’s that time of the year where the Australasian haematology community eagerly gear up for our Annual Scientific Meeting; Blood 2022. THANZ is excited to welcome delegates to Sydney this September and would like to acknowledge the tireless efforts and coordination of Dr. Danny Hsu and Dr Caroline Reddel, whom along with the local organizing committee have prepared a fantastic eventwhich is bound to satisfy both educational and social cravings in these pandemic times. We look forward to an excellent program with both local and international experts covering a variety of current topics. The infamous Blood Gala Dinner is also sure to please with a 1920s themed celebration of the glamour and finery of the Roaring Twenties, so get your best flapper and gangster outfits ready for a night not to be missed! 

 

We would also like to draw your attention to the excellent THANZ workshop, customarily held on the Saturday prior to Blood. We acknowledge the incredible hard work of Dr. Dominic Pepperell who has organized a very educational program with a laboratory scientific focus. This is a fantastic opportunity for laboratory and scientific staff to engage and share with clinicians to further enhance haemostasis thrombosis care and research.  

 

We also encourage our members to engage with the THANZ website and our Twitter (@THANZblood) for more up-to-date news and conversations leading up to and during the Blood meeting. We encourage you to share your thoughts and photos and hope to see you all in Sydney next month

 

Councillor Profile

 

 

Did you manage to identify the mystery Council members in the last edition??

Mystery Council member #1 who was a music correspondent for his university paper and met his partner at the Blood (HAA) Conference Dinner back in 2011 was Dominic Pepperell

Mystery Counmcil member #2 who was looking forward to travelling to Bunnings again after the pandemic and confesses his music tastes are telling on his age was James MacFadyen.

Did you guess correctly???

 

We have another 2 profiles for you this edition- and the odds of guessing correctly have improved.

 

Mystery Council member #3

1) What is your secret talent? 

Multilingual can speak 5 languages

 

2) What is your clinical and research interests?

Thrombosis and myelodysplasia

 

3) When you can travel again, where would you go and why?

Europe - like the culture and food

 

4) What was your most memorable conference experience?

ISTH in Amsterdam a few years ago

 

5) What piece of advice would you give to someone coming up the ranks in T&H?

Pursue your passion

 

6) What is your favourite book?

Sophie’s world by Jostein Gardiner

 

7)What music do you listen to?

Classical and Bollywood

 

Mystery Council member #4

1)What is your secret talent? 

 A useful talent?  None.   Buuuut.  I can break dance if my hips/knees are up to it and there is high enough blood alcohol concentration.

 

2) What is your clinical and research interests? 

Complementopathies (I am certain this is a real word…I think) 

 

3) When you can travel again, where would you go and why? 

I DID travel again and flew to Amsterdam.  Love the city, the museums, canals, the Dutch, the beer and bitterballen  

 

4) What was your most memorable conference experience?

ISTH 2011 Kyoto.  Post-congress dinner somehow managed to gather a group of friends and colleagues to navigate public transport into town and negotiated a private karaoke room with an all-you-can-eat-and-drink package.  Impressive given the state that I was in, and that I don’t speak fluent Japanese.  Many memories were made…and lost, on that awesome night. 

 

5)What piece of advice would you give to someone coming up the ranks in T&H?

The T&H family is close knit and everyone is always happy to help the juniors come up through the ranks.  If you have a certain interest in an area, speak with someone and almost certainly the T&H family will help foster that interest and experience.

 

6) What is your ask favourite book?

Every single one written by David Eddings

 

7) What music do you listen to?

Tragic audiophile hence I think my eclectic musical tastes breaks the Spotify/Tidal algorithms…I listen to pretty much every genre, from piano (Yiruma, Ludovico Einaudi), K-pop (yes BTS!), country (Kane Brown, BRELAND), hip hop (Meek Mills, Logic, Nicki Minaj) and indie/classic pop (Sasha Sloan, Sam Smith, Justin Bieber)    

 

 

2022 Science & Education Funding Round

 

S&E Research Grant

Following a review of applications, the Trustees decided to award the following Research Grants

 

Cherry Keragala (Monash University, Vic)
Fibrinolysis on Membranous Oxygenation (FOMO) pilot study: Evaluating the temporal changes in fibrinolysis in patients on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)

 

Sonali Gnanenthiran (The George Institute for Global Health, NSW)
Repurposing low-dose colchicine in older populations as a therapeutic agent to reduce platelet activation and inflammation (CO-OPERATE): a pilot trial.

 

Dianne Van Der Wal (Australian Red Cross Lifeblood R&D, NSW)
The role of glycans in clearance of procoagulant platelet microparticles

 

S&E Travel/Conference Grant

Travel grants were awarded to Simone Brysland, Marc Ellis, Aster Pijning and Mark Schreuder who all attended the ISTH meeting in London. Simone also attended the Platelet Society Summer School at the University of Reading and visited the French Institute of Health and Medical Research.

 

International Blood Conference Grant

The inargural International Blood Conference Grant has been awarded to Akbar Dorgalaleh from the Iranian Comprehensive Hemophilia Care Center

 

International Collaboration Grant

The International Collaboration Grant funding round closed at the end of July and at the time of publication, the trustees were still reviewing applications.

 

 
 

THANZ Workshop

 

The THANZ Workshop returns to Sydney

Saturday 10th September 2022

 

How to register for the Workshop: Registration is via the THANZ web site -click here - but remember you must be logged in to the Member Centre get the discounted member price. 

 

Take a look at the program below

 

We look forward to seeing you there,

Dr Dominic Pepperell

 

ISTH Conference Review

 

 

The recipients for the S&E Travel Awards have kindly shared their thoughts of the ISTH meeting.

 

ISTH Review by Simone Brysland

 

With the support of the THANZ Science and Education Trust travel grant, I was given the opportunity to attend the 30th annual ISTH Congress in London from 9-13 July 2022. This was my first scientific conference since commencing my research career at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. I had to pinch myself as I walked into the auditorium, filled with thousands of clinicians and scientists, to attend the opening ceremony and incredible plenary lecture presented by Prof Steffen Massberg. I couldn’t believe that I was living my younger self’s dream. 

Several sessions stood out to me during the congress. I was fascinated by the challenges faced with producing platelets in vitro, highlighted by A/Prof Bethan Psaila’s talk on human bone marrow organoids. I was inspired by the quality of the talks and speakers in the ‘Thrombopoiesis – Megakaryocyte Differentiation and Maturation’ session. Finally, I was shocked by the prevalence of postpartum haemorrhage and bleeding of unknown cause in females that was discussed in Prof Anne Godier’s plenary lecture and the SSC session on ‘Women's Issues in Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Von Willebrand Factor, and Platelet Physiology’.

During the Congress, I was also given the opportunity to present a poster on my research, investigating changes to platelet function in the lymphoma Waldenström Macroglobulinaemia, where bleeding symptoms are common. This stimulated many interesting discussions with both clinicians and scientists, who were fascinated and shocked by my findings. All of these discussions, alongside the talks that I attended, have broadened my perspectives and my network. Coming home, I have found new purpose to my research, being inspired to think outside the box, apply new techniques, work harder and discover more. 

I would like to thank THANZ again for giving me the opportunity to attend the ISTH Congress. It was a life-changing experience and I cannot wait for next year!

 

ISTH Review  by Marc Ellis

 

With many thanks to THANZ for awarding me a S+E Trust travel grant, I was able to travel to London recently to attend ISTH 2022.  It was a great feeling to be able to finally be able to stand and present my own research in such a fantastic forum and to network with so many leading clinicians and scientists from around the world. It was also great to escape from the wet Sydney winter and into the uncharacteristically warm English sunshine.  The hybrid format was great for catching up on sessions which ran concurrently while I was in face to face sessions. The four fantastic plenary sessions started with Steffan Massberg discussing platelets and neutrophil interactions in thromboinflammation and particularly the immune functions of platelets. Robert Metcalf skilfully guided us through the murky realm of fibrinolysis. Anne Godier delivered a fantastic talk about the evidence (and lack thereof) in the treatment of acquired bleeding disorders, particularly focussing on perioperative haemostasis, trauma and postpartum haemorrhage. Finally Sarah Teichmann updated us on the fascinating world of single-cell genomics and how this has been applied to the cardiovascular system. Thanks again to THANZ for this fantastic opportunity to finally get to travel overseas again!

 

ISTH, London, July 2022 by Aster Pijning

 

With financial support from THANZ I was able to go to London to present my work at the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) congress. It was my first in-person conference since the start of the pandemic and in that time, I have gone from being a Ph.D. student to a post-doctoral researcher. Having attended and spoken at multiple virtual conferences, I have discussed with colleagues about the validity of in-person scientific conferences. Is it really worth it to fly half-way across the world, spend a bunch of (lab) money, increase your carbon footprint 2-fold, just to fight jetlag at a few presentations, eat a mediocre sandwich in a large conference hall, and have a lukewarm beer at the poster session? In short, yes, it is. The quality of the science presented at ISTH 2022 was nothing short of mind-blowing. The conference also made me realise that the value of connecting in-person with fellow researchers who are passionate about the same topics cannot be overstated. If you are ever feeling that you are in a scientific rut, visit a large conference! It is nearly impossible to not feel motivated after seeing the incredible advances that are being made in the fields of thrombosis and haemostasis research all over the globe. Starting with the Gus Born plenary lecture by Prof. Steffen Massberg from the Ludwig-Maximilians Universität in München, who presented on the links between thrombosis and the innate immune cell axis. Who could not be impressed by the incredible videos of migrating platelets scavenging and bundling bacteria in order to present them to neutrophils and boost their activation? What followed were 4 more days of clinical and scientific innovations, a boozy conference party that shall not be discussed further, and a great lecture from Ass. Prof. Alessandra Balduini from the Università di Pavia on the influence of the bone marrow microenvironment on megakaryocyte maturation and platelet formation. Feeling like you missed out? There is always ISTH 2023 in Montréal.

 

Short Review of ISTH 2022 by Mark Schreuder

 

I have attended the ISTH 2022 conference that was held in London, UK from 9 to 13 July. This was the first conference I was able to attend in person since the Covid outbreak. With about 5000 attendees coming from all over the world this was the premier conference in the field of thrombosis and haemostasis. For me personally it was great to finally meet most of my former colleagues from Leiden, The Netherlands, where I worked as a PhD student, after not being able to see them for three years. Besides my former colleagues, I was able to meet with talented and established researchers from the US, Belgium, Norway, Saudi-Arabia, France, and the UK amongst others.

At this conference, I was fortunate enough to be able to present our research on the formation of disulphide bonds in the coagulation protein prothrombin. It turned out to be a great session with many attendees and the feedback we got on our project was very positive. The quality of the presented research at the ISTH was very high with many interesting research projects. In particular, I remember the state-of-the-art presentation by Prof Enrico di Cera on the cryo-EM structure of the prothrombinase complex with prothrombin revealing novel details on the interaction of these proteins. Also, a presentation in which the authors modelled the B-domain of factor VIII gave completely new insights in the potential structure of this domain which thus far had never been solved. Lastly, there was a great presentation that was relevant for our research in which a group from Colorado, USA discovered that the blood clotting protein fibrinogen becomes oxidised in trauma patients resulting in a decreased clotting potential of the protein. These results could imply an important role for disulphide bonds which become more formed in oxidising conditions and this may explain the reduced clotting ability of fibrinogen.

Overall, I think there was a great balance between basic and clinical research and it was very stimulating to meet so many great researchers. The ISTH 2022 gave me the opportunity to expand my network, present and discuss our research projects, and allowed me to learn from the best scientists in the world.

 

 

 

Blood 2022

 

It is almost upon us...Blood 2022.  For many, this will be the first time pre-pandemic that we are able to attend a conference face-to-face and catch up with fellow colleagues in the flesh.  Don't forget to register for the THANZ Workshop on the Saturday!  The early bird registration might have passed, but it is not too late to register!!!  For those whom have registered, we look forward to seeing you all at the conference, whether it is within the convention halls or on the dance floor at the Gala in your finest 1920s outfits!  See you all in a few weeks' time!!!

 

Danny Hsu (on behalf of myself and Caroline Reddel) 

Blood 2022 Local Organising Committee (THANZ Representatives)    

 

 

Welcome New Members

Please welcome new members Alireza, Matthew, Leah, Jenna, Adam, Sachin, Aisling, James, Natasha, Cameron, Yvonne, Camille, Jillian, Allan and Xiaoming.
 

Position vacant- Casual appoinment at USyd for T&H course

 

As you may be aware, the THANZ Education Committee has developed a very successful Thrombosis & Haemostasis unit of study, which is now in its 4th year at the University of Sydney. The large number of students enrolled this year has necessitated the recruitment of an additional teaching assistant/marker to help grade and mark assessments. This position would be a casual appointment at the Univerity of Sydney- hence if you already have an appointmnt at another university you would not be eligible for payment. If you have a clinical background and would like to know more,  please contact the Education Committee Chair,  Jenny Curnow

 

Contact: A/Prof Jenny Curnow

 

Questionnaire for World Thrombosis Day

 

World Thrombosis Day (WTD) 2022 is on October 13 and is fast approaching.  As part of WTD events, a questionnaire has been designed by ISTH on the topic of cancer associated venous thromboembolism and anticoagulation.  Patients with cancer have a high risk of blood clot formation in their veins or arteries due to the cancer itself and anti-cancer treatments. Patient awareness of these complications is key for prompt recognition of symptoms and signs, risk factors, timely referral to hospital for diagnosis and treatment, as well as for informed discussion with doctors about use of blood thinners for prevention.

 

This questionnaire is intended for patients with cancer and aims at assessing their knowledge and satisfaction about the information received by health-care providers on the potential risks of cancer-associated blood clots and use of blood thinners.

 

Please distribute this survey to your patients with haematological malignancies, as well as to your haematology colleagues and medical oncology colleagues who treat non-haematological malignancies.  The survey can be assessed via the link and QR code below.  

 

https://redcap.isth.org/surveys/?s=APAPWWEWRA

 

 

Alternately, the link and QR code are also present in this PowerPoint slide which can also be distributed to patients and colleagues.  The aim is to present information from this survey on World Thrombosis Day.  

 

You may also wish to share the links to the questionnaire via social media, i.e. Twitter, to help reach as many people as possible.