The 2nd PDSA Canada ITP Regional Meeting was held April 28, 2019, at Winderemere Manor in London, Ontario. It was a great opportunity to learn, connect, and share, with approximately 50 ITP patients, clinicians, researchers, and industry partners in attendance. PDSA Medical Advisor Donald Arnold, MDCM, MSc, FRCPC and Kristina Kastelanac, ND, presented and answered questions. A panel of ITP patients shared their journeys with ITP.
The 1st PDSA Canada ITP Regional Meeting was held April 29, 2017 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Montreal, Quebec. The event recognized that PDSA had established not-for-profit status in Canada, opening up additional channels of information and support to Canadian ITP patients, and their families. PDSA Medical Advisors Donald Arnold, MDCM, MSc, FRCPC, and James B. Bussel, MD, joined Robert Klaassen, MD, FRCPC in presenting on the landscape of ITP in Canada, and emerging therapies and research coming soon. Following presentations, they answered questions and listened to the needs of ITP patients and families living in Canada.
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Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Onsite parking is complimentary.
9:30am - 10:00am
Registration
10:00am
Welcome - Caroline Kruse, President and CEO, Platelet Disorder Support Association
10:05am - 12:00pm
The Immune System and ITP - Alan Lazarus, PhD, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
ITP in Adults - Michael Scott, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
ITP in Children - Vicky Breakey, MD, Associate Professor, Pediatrics, McMaster University
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Lunch
1:00pm - 2:00pm
Advocacy Update
2:00pm - 2:45pm
Patient Panel - Inspiring ITP Stories
2:45pm - 3:00pm
Closing Remarks - Caroline Kruse
Vicky Breakey, MD
Associate Professor, Pediatrics, McMaster University
Dr. Vicky Breakey is a Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist at McMaster Children’s Hospital and an Associate Professor at McMaster University. Dr. Breakey provides clinical care to children with cancer and blood disorders. She is an active member of the ITP Consortium of North American (ICON) research group. Her current research interests include treatments for refractory pediatric ITP, and quality of life for children with ITP and transition of care for adolescents with chronic hematological conditions.
Alan Lazarus, PhD
Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
Dr. Alan Lazarus is a medical scientist in Toronto, Canada, and a Professor at the University of Toronto. He studies how the immune system sometimes mistakes a person’s own blood cells as targets, with a focus on immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and autoimmune hemolytic anemia. His goal is to help develop safer and more effective treatments for these conditions. Over the years, Dr. Lazarus has helped uncover how antibodies and immune cells destroy platelets and red blood cells, and how therapies like intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) and newer antibody-based medicines can protect patients. He works closely with scientists around the world and is passionate about making research discoveries that can one day improve patient care.
Michael Scott, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
Dr. Michael Scott completed medical school at McMaster University followed by residency training in Core Internal Medicine and Adult Hematology at the University of Toronto. He is a Clinical Hematologist at St. Michael’s Hospital and Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. His clinical interests span the breadth of general non-malignant hematology, with a particular focus on immune cytopenias, disorders of iron homeostasis, and porphyria. He is highly involved in teaching and education at all levels, and has completed his Master’s of Health Professions Education at Maastricht University in the Netherlands.
The PDSA Canada page is sponsored by Sobi Canada
Dr. Donald M. Arnold is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University, and Director of the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Transfusion Research at McMaster University. Dr. Arnold’s research is focused on improving blood transfusion practices and advancing the care of patients with platelet disorders. Dr. Arnold was co-principal investigator for the CONCOR-1 trial, which evaluated the use of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 in Canada, the US and Brazil, and was instrumental in uncovering the mechanisms of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) after COVID-19 vaccinations. His translational research program on immune-mediated platelet disorders includes clinical and laboratory-based research. Dr. Arnold and colleagues are building the Canadian Transfusion Trials Group to support large, efficient clinical trials in Transfusion Medicine in Canada with a focus on pragmatic trials and mentorship of early career investigators.
Jennifer DiRaimo is PDSA’s Research Program Manager. She began working with PDSA in the fall of 2019. She has a Masters degree in Genetic Counseling from Brandeis University and worked as a clinical health care provider in allied health for over 14 years before coming to PDSA. She has experience working collaboratively in the health care industry and loves teaching and research. Since working at PDSA, Jennifer has managed our research program and oversees advocacy work in Canada. Her passion is to help improve the lives of those living with ITP, and their families. She is also the facilitator of the Canadian teleconference support group through PDSA and sits on the National Rare Blood Disorders Organization board as a PDSA representative, and the patient engagement panel through Canadian Blood Services as a PDSA representative.
Dr. Kristin Hunt was diagnosed with chronic ITP at the age of 12 years old. She started volunteering and fundraising for PDSA in 2010. She co-founded the ITP Kids Camp and continues to serve on the patient research panel. Determined to continue helping patients, she decided to build her career in medicine. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Immunology (2014) and a Master of Science in Immunology (2016) from McGill University in Montreal, QC. She later obtained her medical degree from McGill University, graduating with the class of 2020. While studying, she also co-founded McGill’s first Rare Disease Interest Group. She then completed her pediatrics residency training at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and recently became a licensed pediatrician in June 2024. She is now completing her second and final year of subspecialty training in Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario. Dr. Hunt hopes to use both her personal and professional experiences to continue helping ITP patients and all those affected by immune-mediated disorders.
Dr. Klaassen is a Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Professor at the Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa and Clinical Investigator at the CHEO Research Institute. He is the Hemophilia director for the Eastern Ontario region and is the past President of the Association of Hemophilia Directors of Canada. His clinical focus is on the care of patients with non-malignant hematologic disorders and in particular bleeding disorders. His research activities specialize in quality of life and he is one of the owner/inventors of the Kids ITP tools (KIT), which is a quality of life tool specific developed for children with ITP.
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IMPORTANT!
The Platelet Disorder Support Association does not provide medical advice or endorse any medication, vitamins or herbs. The information contained herein is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice and is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider before starting any new treatment, discontinuing an existing treatment and to discuss any questions you may have regarding your unique medical condition.
