Women with Bleeding Disorders – A lifelong journey

Dr Sarah O’Brien is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.  She leads a multi-disciplinary young women’s hematology clinic at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.  Her clinical and research interests include the evaluation and diagnosis of mild bleeding disorders and the intersections between hematology and women’s health. 

Debra Pollard is Lead Nurse Specialist, Advanced Nurse Practitioner at Katharine Dormandy Haemophilia and Thrombosis Centre, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK. Debra is also Director of Education at Haemnet, a member of the European Haemophilia Consortium’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Group, the UK’s Haemophilia Society as well a member of the Women and Bleeding Disorders Working Group of the EAHAD.

Dr. Homa K. Ahmadzia is a specialty care physician board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and maternal-fetal medicine. She joined Inova in 2023 as the Deputy Director of the Perinatal Research Unit and has been practicing since 2008. Dr. Ahmadzia completed her undergraduate, medical school education, and Masters of Public Health at The George Washington University. She then completed her residency at Yale University and her fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Duke University.

Dr. Ahmadzia is a physician scientist and has presented her research at numerous conferences including The Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, the International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis and the Foundation for Women and Girls with Blood Disorders. She has had federal funding for the past 7 years that included a Clinical and Translational Science Institute KL2 Mentored Career Development Award followed by a K23 Career Mentored Development Award from NHLBI and R01 award from NICHD. She also has had other grant funded research from the FDA and Gates foundation as well as served as the Medical Monitor for the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Unit Network. Her areas of research interests include prevention of postpartum hemorrhage using tranexamic acid, prediction of postpartum hemorrhage, public health epidemiology and global maternal health. She is the founder for UNITE GLOBE, an advocacy outreach group dedicated towards united efforts to reduce global obstetric hemorrhage.

Dr. Ahmadzia's clinical areas of interest include ultrasonography, management of high-risk pregnancies and bleeding disorders and thrombophilias. She enjoys taking care of women during pregnancy and hopes to improve perinatal outcomes for women in the US and abroad through her clinical and research interests. She will be starting a Pregnancy and Hematology clinic with Dr. Najeebah Bade at Inova.

Prior to joining Inova, Dr. Ahmadzia worked as an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and associate professor of global obstetric hemorrhage.

Dr. Ahmadzia's clinical areas of interest include ultrasonography, management of high-risk pregnancies and bleeding disorders and thrombophilias. She enjoys taking care of women during pregnancy and hopes to improve perinatal outcomes for women in the US and abroad through her clinical and research interests. She will be starting a Pregnancy and Hematology clinic with Dr. Najeebah Bade at Inova.