Global Thrombosis Forum

The Global Thrombosis Forum (formerly Georgia Thrombosis Forum) has continued to develop innovative approaches to further education and research programs worldwide. In the past seven years, consistent with the North American Thrombosis Forum’s objectives, training, and educational initiatives, the Global Thrombosis Forum, under the leadership of Dr. Atul Laddu, has made a major impact in inspiring public sectors. In particular, GTF has been focusing on younger students to promote awareness of thrombosis and its management at various levels. Such programs have recruited talented younger scholars who have participated in educational and translational research programs and public advocacy in an exemplary fashion. Under the strong leadership of Dr. Sam Goldhaber, President of the NATF, and Dr. Atul Laddu, President and CEO of GTF, these projects will continue to expand and will provide opportunities for younger students which will be helpful in their career planning and education to become physicians and scientists to serve healthcare and biomedical research programs. 

GTF also has a close partnership with IUA on these programs. One of the major efforts and educational programs is organizing scientific symposia and meetings. For this reason, GTF and the North American Chapter of the IUA have planned annual symposia on select topics.



Third Rajan Memorial Lecture/GTF Symposium 2023
January 08, 2023
Program Brochure

Per tradition, on January 8, 2023, GTF conducted a very successful Third Rajan Memorial Lecture/GTF Symposium 2023. The highlight was the masterly address by the Keynote Speaker of the program, Stephan Moll, MD, Professor of Hematology at the University of North Carolina, on "DVT and PE: making a diagnosis and creating a treatment plan”. Attached below is the brochure and the talks given by GTF scholars and the Faculty (Drs. Bulent Kantarcioglu, Margaret Callahan, Charles Carter, Jawed Fareed, Pedro Pablo Komlos, Stephan Moll, and Eduardo Ramacciotti
).

What is DVT and PE?
Krish Raina and Avaneesh Jadhav

Pathophysiology of DVT
Ishaan Dhaneshwar and Shriya Sawant

Pathophysiology of PE
Richa Mahajan and Mala Niverthi

DVT and PE: Making a Diagnosis and Creating a Treatment Plan
Stephan Moll, MD

Role of Warfarin in Patient Management - 2023 and Beyond
Charles A. Carter, PharmD, MBA

Heparin vs DOAC’s in the Management of PE
Jawed Fareed PhD, DSc, FAHA

Antithrombotic Therapy in COVID-19
Bulent Kantarcioglu, MD

 
Fourth anniversary event of the Promoting Awareness of Clotting Outcomes (PACO) Foundation - 2022
November 19, 2022
Program Brochure

The Fourth anniversary event of the Promoting Awareness of Clotting Outcomes (PACO) Foundation was held virtually on November 19, 2022. Experts such as Alfonso Tafur, MD; Bulent Kantarcioglu, MD; Jawed Fareed, PhD; Jeanine Walewnga, PhD; and Joseph Caprini, MD presided at the event.

The event was a great success, with the following GTF scholars making presentations:

Challenges in dentistry patients who are on anticoagulants
Sonal Kapuria, Diya Pise, Harith Dinakaran

VTE in Latin American patients
Anish Joshi, Krish Punyarthi, Priyanka Kavdikar

The Strange Story of Heparin: When a Friend turns into a foe
Arushi Garud, Divya Honavar, Divyanka Kavdikar

The experts gave the following comments:

1. Unique topics and uniquely developed concepts
2. Incredibly complex projects
3. Very high quality presentations
4. We learnt a lot from the presentations
5. The presentations were very comprehensive, and had all the important elements needed for the project.
6. The GTF scholars were presenting the data as storytelling, really a great art in mentoring.                         
7. This event was a very powerful tool GTF is using to promote high school students. 
8. Starting at grass roots level is the way to go, congratulations to GTF for its efforts in this area.
9. In the past 10 years, GTF has made strong connections with ACPHS, BWH, ISTH, IUA, Loyola, NATF, and 
PACO, and is going strong in making more connections.
10. We can clearly see several future MDs with drive, passion, organization, and greed to learn something new in this group.

 
IUA World Congress 2022 - Porto Alegre, Brazil
October 14, 2022
Event Website
Program Brochure

Global Thrombosis Forum (GTF) has been an affiliate member of the IUA since 2021. Recently eight of the GTF High School Scholars (Ms. Anaya Rege, Mr. Arav Bongirwar, Ms. Isha Patkar, Ms. Malvika Sawant, Ms. Radhika Kulkarni, Ms. Roumika Patil, Ms. Sanika Ainchwar, and Ms. Shivangi Ranjan) were given the incredible honor of presenting their research work at the IUA World Congress held at Porto Alegre, Brazil from October 13-15, 2022. With immense help, cooperation, guidance and encouragement from Prof. Luigi Antignani, MD (President of IUA) and Prof. Pedro Pablo Komlos, MD (President-elect of IUA), this was the first time IUA had embarked on a project with presentations by high school students. Attendees at the Congress included MDs, PhDs, MS, medical students, nurses, and researchers from all over the world. The presentations by the GTF High School Scholars were moderated by renowned vascular surgeon Dr. Eduardo Ramacciotti, were appreciated by everyone, and helped in establishing very firmly the role of high school students in research activities.


Introducing the Global Thrombosis Forum, GTF
Arav Bongirwar, Roumika Patil


ASH Guidelines for prevention of VTE in Latin America
Anaya Rege, Malvika Sawant, Roumika Patil

Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT)
Arav Bongirwar, Sanika Ainchwar, Shivangi Ranjan

COVID-19 and Stroke
Isha Patkar, Radhika Kulkarni
 
Virtual High School Scholars’ Day
July 30, 2022
Program Brochure

The Global Thrombosis Forum and Loyola University, Chicago held the High School Scholar's day on July 30th 2022. Since 2020, the GTF High School Scholar Summer Research program has been planned in a virtual format in which students and faculty contribute with several innovative approaches to carry out assigned projects in an effective manner. This year too the program involved periodic group sessions, individual faculty / student interactions and scheduled didactic presentations relevant to assigned biomedical research in an integrated fashion.  The concept and implementation of the virtual program was supported by the Provost Dr. Margaret Callahan and Vice Provost, Dr. Meharvan Singh.

Loyola Student Intern Presentations
Anticoagulation in COVID-19
Isha Patkar

Differentiation Between Apixaban and Rivaroxaban and the Potential Healthcare Impact of a Seemingly Simple Marketing Change–– the Power of Science and the Voice of the People
Neha Koganti

Glycemic Indices and Related Biomarkers in Pulmonary Embolism
Roumika Patil

Thrombin generation parameters and biomarkers such as D-dimer, prothrombin fragment F1+2 and thrombin-antithrombin complex
Priya Ray

The relationship between thrombo-inflammatory biomarkers and cellular indices of inflammation in pulmonary embolism patients
Radhika Kulkarni


Powerpoint Presentations
Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT)
Divya Honavar

Reversal Agents for DOACs
Richa Mahajan, Sanika Ainchwar

Biomarkers and Thrombosis   
Arav Bongirwar 
           
Posters
COVID-19 and D-Dimer
Aniket Talanki, Ishanth Talanki

Hypertension and VTE
Aneesh Natakala

Role of Nurses in the Management of VTE
Krish Raina

 
 
5th Annual BRIDGE(Beginning Researchers Involved in Discovery through Guidance and Exploration)
June 22, 2022
Program Brochure

The fifth annual BRIDGE (Beginning Researchers Involved in Discovery through Guidance and Exploration) event was held virtually on June 22, 2022 where the GTF high school scholars presented their research to the Faculty through posters and powerpoints.

Posters
Reversal Agents for DOACs
Shriya Sawant, Shivam Gupta

Vaccine-induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia
Priyanka Kavdikar

Biomarkers of Thrombosis
Saanvi Tatipalli

Presentations
COVID-19 and D-Dimer
Divyanka Kavdikar, Rohit Dandavate

Role of nurses in the management of VTE
Ishaan Dhaneshwar

Hypertension and VTE
Vivaan Karnik
 
 
Pulmonary Embolism Symposium: Second Rajan Memorial Lecture
January 9, 2022
Program Brochure

Introduction by Atul Laddu
 
In the process of giving the GTF students higher levels of training in research, communications and presentations, GTF has initiated a program for having a symposium on some special topics inviting GTF young members in their advanced career, along with some experts. The first of this series was a symposium on challenges for dentists with patients on anticoagulants. The next one was, “Anticoagulation in GI Tract: An update on GI disorders: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Considerations”.  Our next one was COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Effects, where the first Rajan Memorial Lecture with the keynote speaker was by Alfonso Tafur, MD, from the Northshore University Health System, who spoke on, “Addressing Thrombosis risk in patients with vascular malformations including CLOVES”, consistent with Rajan’s condition of Cloves Syndrome. Today, the theme of the symposium is Pulmonary Embolism in young children, with Samuel Goldhaber, MD, from Harvard Medical School and President of NATF, as the keynote speaker, consistent with Rajan who succumbed to PE at an early age of 23!


Clinical challenges in the management of PE in younger population
Samuel Goldhaber, MD 

Pathogenesis of PE, risk stratification, and management
Anushka Bhate

Coagulation process, diagnosis of PE, and incidence of PE
Rohan Pai

Clinical management of PE and prophylaxis of PE
Ashay Bongirwar

Yoga, another option to manage the patients with VTE
Neha Koganti, Diya Pise, and Ria Chokshi

COVID-19 and PE: Lessons from the Pandemic
Bulent Kantarcioglu, MD


 
 
November 13, 2021

GTF young members made a presentation of their research work at the PACO 3rd anniversary event on Saturday, November 13, 2021.
Of special mention is the significant contribution from young mentors Aditya Sathe,a 3rd year medical student, and Ms. Priya Lokasundaram, a nursing student.

Global Thrombosis Forum Virtual High School Scholars’ Day
July 16, 2021




 
June 25, 2021, virtual meeting

For the past several years, the Global Thrombosis Forum (GTF, www.gtfonline.net) has been coaching young members of the community in conducting research at various institutions such as the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences under the leadership of Shaker Mousa, PhD, MBA, FACC, FACB, the Vice Provost of Research and Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Research Institute at ACPHS. The fourth annual BRIDGE (Beginning Researchers Involved in Discovery through Guidance and Exploration) event was held on June 25, 2021 where the GTF high school scholars presented their research to the Faculty through posters or powerpoints.  In addition, the GTF Summer Interns also presented results from their research projects that were assigned to them by Dr. Mousa during the 5-week internships they had held with Dr. Mousa.
On June 11, 2021, Professor Pier Luigi ANTIGNANI, the President of the International Union of Angiology (IUA) warmly welcomed GTF as an associate society of the IUA. It is a big honor to GTF for being recognized as an Associate Society of the prestigious institution such as the IUA, for which the BOD of GTF wants to thank Prof. Antignani, Prof. Fareed, and Mr. Jakub Uher. The projects presented at the BRIDGE event by the GTF scholars are being published on the IUA website.

Cardiovascular Symposium 2021
January 10, 2021, virtual meeting

The Global Thrombosis Forum (formerly Georgia Thrombosis Forum) has continued to develop innovative approaches to further education and research programs worldwide. In the past seven years, consistent with the North American Thrombosis Forum’s objectives, training and educational initiatives, the Global Thrombosis Forum, under the leadership of Dr. Atul Laddu, has made a major impact in inspiring public sectors. In particular, GTF has been focusing on younger students to promote awareness of thrombosis and its management at various levels. Such programs have recruited talented young scholars who have participated in educational and translational research programs in an exemplary fashion. Under the strong leadership of Dr. Sam Goldhaber, President of the NATF and Dr. Atul Laddu, President and CEO of GTF, these projects will continue to expand and will provide opportunities for younger students which will be helpful in their career planning and education to become physicians and scientists to serve healthcare and biomedical research programs. The 2021 program is developed to include feature presentations by selected GTF scholars which will highlight thrombotic and cardiovascular diseases and their management by direct oral anticoagulants. The symposium faculty presentations will focus primarily on vascular diseases and their diagnostic and therapeutic management with reference to the observed complications in COVID-19.  
The special program on this day was the Rajan Memorial Lecture. Rajan Laddu was a founding member of the GTF and in fact was instrumental in initiation of GTF. Rajan unfortunately succumbed to an attack of PE on October 8, 2020. In acknowledgment of the late Rajan Laddu’s contributions and input in the foundation of GTF, an annual Rajan Laddu Memorial lecture has been established. Rajan has left a legacy of courage and strong will which has inspired our younger members. He will be remembered forever. This year’s presentation was given by Dr. Alfonso Tafur of North Shore hospital, Chicago.       

Second Annual PACO (Promoting Awareness of Clotting Outcomes) Foundation Symposium 2020

The Second Annual PACO Symposium was organized in a hybrid format, including virtual and live sessions, on October 17 and October 24, 2020. The events on October 17, 2020 included a presentation of 3 posters by the high school student-members of GTF. A competition was held for the poster presentations and the poster on COVID-19 and VTE won the first prize. The posters are presented here.

GTF Annual Meeting 2020
Anticoagulation in GI Tract: An update on GI disorders: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Considerations
January 12, 2020, in Suwanee, GA

The program reflects the interest that the younger students have taken, as part of the GTF educational initiatives and the identification of a timely topic addressing the anticoagulation in the GI tract where newer advances are evident.