Joseph Shaw

Joseph R. Shaw, MD MSc FRCPC DRCPSC is a hematologist and thrombosis medicine specialist in the Department of Medicine at The Ottawa Hospital. He is an Associate Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa. 

He completed his undergraduate studies in Biochemistry at McGill University, for which he was awarded the Major Hiram Mills Medal.

He then completed his M.D., Internal Medicine and Hematology training at the University of Ottawa. He completed Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons AFC training in Adult Thrombosis Medicine through the Thrombosis Unit at The Ottawa Hospital and a Master of Science in Epidemiology at the University of Ottawa. His thesis dissertation was on the utility of thrombin generation assays for measuring the anticoagulant effects of direct oral anticoagulants and anticoagulation reversal. 

His research is focused on evaluating anticoagulation reversal strategies and the perioperative management of anticoagulants. He is interested in studying the clinical applications of thrombin generation assays, including evaluating anticoagulant pharmacodynamics and the effects of anticoagulation reversal agents.

Dr. Shaw is currently Chair of the CanVECTOR National Thrombosis Seminars Committee and Co-Chair of the ISTH SSC on Perioperative and Critical Care Hemostasis and Thrombosis. His research on biomarker-enhanced VTE risk stratification in patients with cancer was awarded the Canadian Hematology Society’s John H. Crookston Award in 2019 and his publication on the perioperative management of anticoagulation among patients with cancer-associated VTE was recognized with the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis’ Editors Award in 2020.

In 2024, he was awarded the Canadian Hematology Society's Early Career Award.

Featured Publications:

• Shaw JR. Direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) levels, bleeding, and breakthrough thrombosis: fog of war. J Thromb Haemost. 2025 Nov;23(11):3441-3444. doi: 10.1016/j.jtha.2025.08.003. PMID: 41139076. PubMed

• Panigrahi AK, Shaw JR. Perioperative use of activated prothrombin complex concentrates. Anesthesiology. 2025 Aug 1;143(2):412-423. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000005515. Epub 2025 Jun 10. PMID:40493402. PubMed

• Douketis JD, Li N, St John M, Nixon J, Moffat K, Shaw JR, Syed S, Schulman S, Gross PL, Spyropoulos AC. Perioperative management of direct oral anticoagulants in patients having a high-bleed-risk surgery or neuraxial procedure: the Perioperative Anticoagulant Use for Surgery Evaluation (PAUSE)-2 pilot randomized trial. J Thromb Haemost. 2025 Jul;23(7):2226-2234. doi:10.1016/j.jtha.2025.03.003. Epub 2025 Mar 12. PMID:40086754. PubMed

• Shaw JR, Levy JH. Emergent cardiac surgery, andexanet alfa-induced heparin resistance, and prothrombotic effects: coagulation chaos? J Thromb Haemost. 2025 May;23(5):1469-1472. doi:10.1016/j.jtha.2025.02.024. PMID:40306815. PubMed

• Shaw JR, Li N, Grussé M, Van Dreden P, St John M, Nixon J, Spyropoulos AC, Schulman S, Levy JH, Carrier M, Douketis JD. Influence of direct oral anticoagulant levels and thrombin generation on postoperative bleeding [SONAR]: a nested case-control study. Thromb Haemost. 2025 Feb 11. doi:10.1055/a-2521-0923. Online ahead of print. PMID:39837561. PubMed

• Shaw JR, Nopp S, Stavik B, Youkhana K, Michels AL, Kennes S, Rak J, ten Cate H. Thrombosis, translational medicine, and biomarker research: moving the needle. J Am Heart Assoc. 2025 Jan 7;14(1):e038782. doi:10.1161/JAHA.124.038782. Epub 2024 Dec 24. PMID:39719414. PubMed

• Shaw JR, Li N, Abdulrehman J, Frosi Stella S, St John M, Nixon J, Spyropoulos AC, Schulman S, Wang TF, Carrier M, Douketis JD. Periprocedural management of direct oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation and active cancer. J Thromb Haemost. 2024 Mar;22(3):727-737. doi: 10.1016/j.jtha.2023.10.028. Epub 2023 Nov 9. PMID: 37949316. PubMed

• Hrubesz G, Dwyer K, McIsaac DI, Sood MM, Clark E, Douketis J, Carrier M, Shaw JR. Perioperative management of apixaban in patients with advanced CKD undergoing a planned invasive procedure. Blood Adv. 2024 Feb 13;8(3):732-735. doi:10.1182/bloodadvances.2023012380. PMID:38181766. PubMed

• Shaw JR, Castellucci LA, Siegal D, Carrier M. DOAC-associated bleeding, hemostatic strategies, and thrombin generation assays—a review of the literature. J Thromb Haemost. 2023 Mar;21(3):433-452. doi:10.1016/j.jtha.2022.11.029. Epub 2022 Dec 22. PMID:36696204. PubMed

• Shaw JR, Li N, Nixon J, Moffat KA, Spyropoulos AC, Schulman S, Douketis JD. Coagulation assays and direct oral anticoagulant levels among patients having an elective surgery or procedure. J Thromb Haemost. 2022 Dec;20(12):2953-2963. doi:10.1111/jth.15901. Epub 2022 Oct 18. PMID:36200348. PubMed

• Shaw JR, Li N, Vanassche T, Coppens M, Spyropoulos AC, Syed S, Radwi M, Duncan J, Schulman S, Douketis JD. Predictors of preprocedural direct oral anticoagulant levels in patients having an elective surgery or procedure. Blood Adv. 2020 Aug 11;4(15):3520-3527. doi:10.1182/bloodadvances.2020002335. PMID:32756938. PubMed