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New Scientist profile: Dr. Miriam Kimpton aims to prevent blood clots in patients with rare blood cancer


April 30, 2021

Dr. Miriam KimptonDr. Miriam Kimpton’s research centers on myeloproliferative neoplasms, a rare form of chronic blood cancer. Patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms are at particularly high risk of blood clots, but little is known about the best way to prevent clots in this population. 

Dr. Kimpton is leading a pilot multi-centre, randomized controlled trial to assess the feasibility of preventing blood clots in myeloproliferative neoplasm patients using apixaban, a direct oral anticoagulant, compared to aspirin, the current standard of care. This pilot trial is currently recruiting patients at The Ottawa Hospital. The pilot trial aims to identify any barriers to recruiting patients with these rare diseases, and to determine whether a full-size randomized controlled trial on the efficacy of apixaban compared to aspirin is possible. 

Dr. Kimpton is also interested in developing patient-informed definitions of bleeding in peripheral artery disease, a condition where narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs. Using a mixed methods research design, she wants to better understand patient preferences and values regarding bleeding complications, a common side-effect of blood thinners, to better define the risk-benefit balance patients may expect from these therapies.

Dr. Kimpton was recently appointed as an Associate Scientist in the Clinical Epidemiology Program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. She is a hematologist and thrombosis physician at The Ottawa Hospital and assistant professor at the University of Ottawa.

The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa and supported by The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.