What is your research about?
I work mainly on inherited bleeding disorders, which include well-known ones such as haemophilia and lesser-known ones like von Willebrand disease. What they have in common is that they make people more prone to bleeding that causes problems. My research looks why people don’t get diagnosed or treated appropriately; mainly women.
Why are women particularly prone to the effects of bleeding disorders?
A big part of it is periods. If there is a bleeding disorder, the bleeding can be very heavy, to the point where it impacts the person’s health. And around the time of birth, if a woman has an unmanaged bleeding disorder, that puts her at risk of heavy bleeding. So it’s really important that women get diagnosed.
What can be done to help women who have bleeding disorders?
In the case of haemophilia and von Willebrand disease, we know that specific clotting factors that help the body to seal off a bleed are not working as they should. So we can provide those clotting factors to the person, and that helps control bleeding. There may also be hormone-based options, like the contraceptive pill, which can help manage the monthly bleeds too.
You balance a clinical workload at St James’s Hospital with research in RCSI – how do you manage that?
It takes a lot of planning but you need to set aside time for research as it helps improve clinical care. Both roles complement each other. I work as a consultant haematologist at the National Coagulation Centre in the hospital but have reduced my hours to invest in research, writing grant applications and papers, and carrying out studies. It also means I can bring the research we do in Ireland to international networks, particularly in Europe.
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What do you like most about the research?
The impact it can have. In Ireland we punch above our weight in diagnosing von Willebrand disease and women with bleeding disorders because of our clinical centre and our research at the Irish Centre for Vascular Biology. Our Low Von Willebrand in Ireland Cohort study, which is funded through the Health Research Board, is now the largest dedicated study of patients with low von Willebrand factor in the world. Our findings in Ireland are changing practices internationally.
What do you wish people knew about inherited bleeding disorders?
That they are probably more common than you think, and they can cause things like low haemoglobin or iron, which can affect energy levels. Many women with an undiagnosed inherited bleeding disorder have heavy periods that can last longer than seven days and involve soaking through multiple pads a day and taking time off work.
Chances are that other women in their family experience similar, so they might think it is normal. We recently developed a website for people to find out more about heavy menstrual bleeding – it’s knowyourflow.ie
If that sounds like you, or if you bleed a lot after surgery or dental treatment or have nosebleeds that last more than 15 minutes, it is worth getting a referral to a haematologist who can run specific blood tests.
And what do you like to do in your non-clinical, non-research time?
Home life tends to revolve around things that our three kids are involved in, so my husband and I spend a lot of time at dance recitals and swimming pools. I enjoy baking too, so any time there is a bake sale I like to work on a contribution.
Dr Michelle Lavin will be one of the experts at a Science Week event in Dublin city centre on November 15th at 12.30. Womb to Improve: A Chat About Women’s Health is part of the C’Mere Til I Tell Ye festival – booking at cmere.ie
