Dr. Clive Kearon, Professor M.B., M.R.C.P.I., F.R.C.P.(C), Ph.D.

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Education and Professional Standing

Although his current clinical responsibilities primarily focus on the management of thromboembolic disorders, Dr. Kearon originally qualified in Ireland, trained as a respirologist and obtained a Ph.D. from McMaster University for studies relating to respiratory and exercise physiology. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Medicine, an Associated Member in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McMaster University, a Consultant with the Clinical Thromboembolism Service at the Henderson General Division of Hamilton Health Sciences, and Program Director of the Clinician Investigator Program, at McMaster. He was a Career Investigator of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and is now an Investigator of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Dr. Kearon is the recipient of two awards from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for providing mentorship in the design and conduct of randomized controlled trials, and he is the recipient of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis’ 14th Biennial Investigator Recognition Award (2009). Dr. Kearon is involved in the critical appraisal of the medical literature, the development of practice guidelines, and is the chairperson for the current American College of Chest Physicians’ guidelines for the treatment of venous thromboembolism.

Research Interests

Dr. Kearon’s research focuses on clinical trials designed to optimize the diagnosis and treatment of thromboembolic disease. Diagnostic studies are evaluating the ability of D-dimer blood tests to exclude the presence of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Treatment studies are evaluating new ways to use unfractionated heparin for the acute treatment of venous thrombosis; the optimal duration of anticoagulation in subgroups of patients who have either a high, or a low risk of recurrent venous thrombosis; and the catheter-directed thrombolysis for the acute treatment of deep vein thrombosis.

Dr. Kearon is also undertaking studies to identify the clinical importance, and the management implication, of the presence of biochemical abnormalities that are known to be associated with thromboembolism (“thrombophilia”). Additional studies will elucidate, and compare, the pharmacology of different heparin preparations, and will, try to refine how patients with venous thromboembolism are selected to long-term therapy so as to maximize benefit and minimize harm from bleeding.

Dr. Kearon’s research is supported by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the National Institute of Health.