Senior Scientist Affiliate, Acute Care Research
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Dr. Rodger led the development of the Ottawa Blood Disease Center (OBDC) which opened in 2012 and now houses over 35 hematologists/scientists (+22 since 2012) and 80 staff (+20 since 2012). OBDC members teach medical trainees at all levels (medical students to sub-specialists), conduct leading research with productivity that surpasses almost all Divisions of Hematology worldwide and provide world class care to over 30,000 patients per year. He was previously Deputy Director and Director (acting) of the Clinical Epidemiology Program at the OHRI (2007-2009).

Dr. Rodger obtained his MD (Magna Cum Laude) in 1992 from the University of Ottawa after completing his BSc in Physiology at McGill. He completed his post-graduate medical training at UBC and the University of Ottawa in Internal Medicine, Hematology, Thrombosis. He completed an MSc in Epidemiology in 2000.

Dr. Rodger co-founded, co-directs and obtained CIHR funding for CanVECTOR (Canadian Venous Thrombosis Clinical Trials and Outcomes Research) Network (www.CanVECTOR.ca). This network includes over 145 members in over 25 research sites across Canada. Dr. Rodger also founded and is current Chair of INVENT (International Network of Venous Thrombosis Clinical Research Networks) (www.INVENT-VTE.com). INVENT includes 8 national research networks with over 450 investigators in over 150 research sites throughout the world.

Dr. Rodger’s own venous thrombosis research agenda focuses on two areas: Duration of Anticoagulation and Pregnancy. He has published over 220 research articles including first/senior author papers in the New England Journal of Medicine and Lancet. His work has been cited over 17,000 times. Over his career, he has secured over 38 million in peer reviewed research funding (18.7 million as Principle Investigator). He has led many multi-national randomised trials and cohort studies that have changed clinical practice in venous thrombosis. His program of research explored the link between common blood clotting tendencies and placental mediated pregnancy complications. His research confirmed a link, albeit weak, and conducted trials that showed that blood thinners do not prevent these complications, changing a common practice and sparing many women the need to inject blood thinners daily throughout pregnancy. He derived an validated a tool, “Men continue and HERDOO2”, that is used worldwide to assist patients, clinicians and policymakers in deciding whether to anticoagulate venous thrombosis lifelong. He is currently exploring whether an inexpensive and generic cholesterol lowering drug might reduce the risk of venous thrombosis and its complications. He is regularly invited to speak internationally on these topics.

Among other awards, Dr. Rodger has been a long-time beneficiary of a Career Scientists Award from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (2007-2019) and holds a Tier 1 Research Chair in Venous Thromboembolism and Thrombophilia from the University of Ottawa (2010-2020). He received the Heart and Stroke Foundation Maureen Andrew Award (2002), Ontario’s Premier’s Research Excellence Award (2006), the Canadian Hematology Society’s Paper of the Year Award (2014) and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute’s Researcher of the Year Award (2014).

Dr. Marc Rodger, M.D., FRCP(C), MSc. is a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Departments of Medicine, Epidemiology and Community Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology. He is the Chief and Chair of the Division of Hematology and the Head of the Thrombosis Program. He is a Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. He holds a Faculty of Medicine Clinical Research Chair in Venous Thrombosis and Thrombophilia and a Career Scientist Award from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

Dr. Rodger received his B.Sc from McGill University and his M.D., M.Sc. (Clinical Epidemiology) from the University of Ottawa. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine and fellowships in Hematology and Thrombosis at the University of Ottawa.

Rodger MA, Le Gal G, Anderson DR, et al and for the REVERSE II Study Investigators*
Validating the HERDOO2 Rule to Guide Treatment Duration for Women with Unprovoked Venous Thrombosis: A Multi-National Prospective Cohort Management Study
BMJ 2017;365:j1065

Rodger MA, Gris J-C, de Vries JI. Low-molecular-weight heparin does not prevent recurrent placenta-mediated pregnancy complications: an individual patient data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Lancet 2016 Nov 26;388(10060):2629-2641

Rodger MA, Hague WM, Kingdom J, et al for the TIPPS Investigators
Antepartum dalteparin versus no antepartum dalteparin for the prevention of pregnancy complications in pregnant women with thrombophilia (TIPPS): a multinational open-label randomised trial Lancet 2014 Nov 8;384(9955):1673-83.

Rodger MA, Walker MC, Smith GN et al. Is thrombophilia associated with placenta-mediated pregnancy complications. A Prospective Cohort Study. J Thromb Haemost 2014;12:469-478.

Rodger MA, Kahn SR, Wells PS et al. Identifying unprovoked thromboembolism patients at low risk for recurrence who can discontinue anticoagulant therapy. CMAJ 2008;179:417-426.

Pregnancy; Thrombosis / thromboembolism; Women's health

Clinical decision rules; Clinical research; Clinical trials; Cohort studies; Epidemiology; Systematic reviews