Clinical application of whole blood coagulation testing with the Thromboelastograph Analyzer
Speaker: John L. Francis Ph.D.

Program Description: In this lecture, Dr. Francis will review the current concepts of blood coagulation and question whether the current diagnostic approach to bleeding and clotting problems is appropriate.  He will then discuss the principles and clinical application of whole blood coagulation testing using the Thromboelastograph.

Objectives:  Upon completion of the seminar, participants will be able to:

1. Learn about the current concept of the blood coagulation system;

2. Appreciate the principle of the Thromboelastograph Coagulation Analyzer.

3. Learn about clinical and research applications of the TEG relevant to point of care laboratory medicine.

John Francis Ph.D. is the Director of the Florida Hospital Institute for Translational Research and Director of the Florida Hospital Center for Hemostasis and Thrombosis. Originally from the United Kingdom, he joined Florida Hospital from Southampton University Medical School in 1994. Dr. Francis' main research and clinical interests are in the areas of anticoagulant therapy, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, hemostasis and cancer, hypercoagulability, platelet function and novel approaches to the assessment of patients with hemostatic disorders.

He is a member of the International Society for Thrombosis and Haemostasis, The American Society for Hematology, The American Heart Association, and the American Association for Cancer Research. Dr. Francis was the Founding Editor of the International Journal, Blood Coagulation & Fibrinolysis, sits on the Editorial Board of Thrombosis Research and acts as a reviewer for more than a dozen other journals in the field of hemostasis, thrombosis and cardiovascular medicine. He has also served on the Grant Review Committees of the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society, and has acted as Treasurer for the North American Specialized Coagulation Laboratory Association (NASCOLA) for the last two years.

Dr. Francis acts as a Consultant for several pharmaceutical and diagnostics companies and is a frequent lecturer on many aspects of hemostasis and thrombosis. He has published more than 120 papers in this field.