Dr Philip Choi

Philip Choi
Honorary Senior Lecturer (JCSMR)
Senior Staff Specialist Haematologist
Principal Investigator, National Platelet Research and Referral Centre
BA (UNSW), BSc(Med) MBBS (UNSW), PhD (UNSW), FRCPA, FRACP

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About

Dr Phil Choi is a Senior Staff Specialist (The Canberra Hospital, ACT Health), Fellow in the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) and Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR) of the Australian National University (ANU). His primary research expertise is in immune mediated thrombocytopenias. His clinical expertise and scientific profile amongst peers are recognised by recent tenure as co-chair of the Platelet Immunology subcommittee of the ISTH (the peak international society of haemostasis and thrombosis), Principal Editor at Platelets (Taylor & Francis), leadership of national guidelines for the management of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and the national expert advisory group on vaccine induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), and election into THANZ Council (peak national society of my field of haemostasis and thrombosis). He was awarded the RCPA Foundation Kanematsu/Novo Nordisk Award in 2014 for work on non-pathogenic HIT antibodies.

He established the National Platelet Research and Referral Centre (NPRC) Biobank with extensive collaborations at the JCSMR, Canberra Health Services, and interstate. His research findings on improving the diagnosis and management of immune platelet disorders (ITP, heparin induced thrombocytopenia HIT, and VITT) have been published and presented internationally. He has held numerous advisory, faculty, and consultancy positions both within industry (Novartis, Amgen, Janssen Immunology, SOBI, Sanofi, Limbic), government agencies (National Blood Authority, Medical Services Advisory Committee), and consumer advocacy organisations such as ITP Australia (peak national patient network for ITP). He is currently chair of the ACT Health HREC Clinical Research Subcommittee.

Since 2019, he has been invited to the scientific faculty and steering committees for major international conferences such as the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and ISTH meetings, as well as locally the BLOOD meeting (peak haematology conference of Australasia), setting the agenda for plenary sessions and prioritising the research interests to be presented at these meetings.

He has over 50 peer reviewed research publications (including in top-ranked journals such as New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Blood, Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Haematologica, Medical Journal of Australia, and Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis). These have been cited over 700 times (h-index 14, July 2024, Google Scholar), with >600 of these since 2019.

He reviews for numerous international journals including Blood, British Journal of Haematology, Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Medical Journal of Australia, Research in Thrombosis and Haemostasis Practice, Transfusion, Hämostaseologie, Internal Medicine Journal, and Pathology.

He has roles in undergraduate and graduate teaching as a Senior Staff Specialist at The Canberra Hospital by training, mentoring and supervising medical students from the ANU Medical School, pre-vocational medical officers, and advanced trainees in haematology for joint RACP and RCPA programmes. He is currently the Chair of the RACP Curriculum Review Group for Haematology.

He has provided 3-4 lectures annually in the field of platelet diseases and bleeding disorders for the ANU Medical School, masters graduates at Sydney University, and for post-graduate fellowship training at the RCPA.

He has provided educational lectures and on-line training resources for ISTH on ITP, and served on examiner panels for medical students, college trainees and currently supervises one PhD student at JCSMR.

He is the current Treasurer of THANZ and holds memberships of the Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand, ASH, and ISTH.

  • Principal Editor: Platelets
  • The Canberra Hospital, August 2015-current
  • National Capital Private Hospital, August 2015-current
  • St George Clinical School (UNSW), PhD student, 2011-2016
  • St George Private Hospital, Kogarah, VMO 2011-current
  • St George Public Hospital, Kogarah 2010-2012
  • Concord Repatriation General Hospital (CRGH) 2005-2009
  • Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPAH) 2002-2009
  • University of NSW (UNSW) 1995-2001
  • Clinical Schools: St George Hospital 1997, POWH 1998, SVH 1999-2001

Areas of expertise

  • Haematology
  • Platelet immunology including (immune thrombocytopenia - ITP, drug induced thrombocytopenia, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia - HIT, and Platelet Factor 4 immune disorders)
  • Warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (wAIHA)

 

 

 

Teaching information

Student Projects

  1. Improving the diagnosis of ITP: development of novel low-cost, reproducible, reliable assays to improve the diagnosis of ITP
  2. Identifying biomarkers for response in ITP: correlating results captured over time with the evolution of clinical outcomes
  3. Exploiting AI to develop novel, clinically relevant subclassifications in ITP
  4. Drug-induced immune mediated thrombocytopenia (DITP): developing a national biobank and NATA-accredited service for the detection of drug-associated anti-platelet antibodies to support the diagnosis of DITP.
  5. VETinCa: using viscoelastography to identify novel biomarkers for the development of cancer-associated thrombosis
  6. Warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia in the post-rituximab era: exploring the incidence and outcomes
  7. ITCH: improving stem cell harvest viability and exploring the effects of platelet contamination

Location

Level 5, Building 19, Canberra Region Cancer Centre

The Canberra Hospital

Yamba Drive, Garran ACT 2605

Publications

Kuter DJ, et al. Long-term treatment with rilzabrutinib in patients with immune thrombocytopenia. Blood Advances. 2024;8(7):1715-24.

Choi PY-I, et al. Results of an International Survey of Opinions on the Definitions and Treatments for HIT: Communication from the ISTH SSC Subcommittee on Platelet Immunology. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. 2024.

Choi P, et al. Updated treatment options for immune thrombocytopenia. Internal Medicine Journal. 2024;54(2):201-3.

Cavic G, et al. Response to COVID-19 vaccination in patients on cancer therapy: Analysis in a SARS-CoV-2-naïve population. Asia Pac J Clin Oncol. 2024.

Baker RI, et al. Standardization of definition and management for bleeding disorder of unknown cause: communication from the SSC of the ISTH. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. 2024.

Verstovsek S, Gerds AT, Vannucchi AM, Al-Ali HK, Lavie D, Kuykendall AT, et al. Momelotinib versus danazol in symptomatic patients with anaemia and myelofibrosis (MOMENTUM): results from an international, double-blind, randomised, controlled, phase 3 study. Lancet. 2023;401(10373):269-80.

Ng JY, Joshi M, Choi P. Frequency and outcomes of obinutuzumab-induced thrombocytopenia. Br J Haematol. 2023;In press.

Liam CCK, Tiao JY, Yap YY, Lee YL, Sathar J, McRae S, et al. Validating lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as a component of the PLASMIC predictive tool (PLASMIC-LDH). Blood Res. 2023;58(1):36-41.

Choi PY, Merriman E, Bennett A, Enjeti AK, Tan CW, Goncalves I, et al. Updated treatment options for immune thrombocytopenia. Internal Medicine Journal. 2023;In press.

Choi PY, Hsu D, Tran HA, Tan CW, Enjeti A, Chen VMY, et al. Immune thrombocytopenia and COVID-19 vaccination: Outcomes and comparisons to prepandemic patients. Res Pract Thromb Haemost. 2023;7(1):100009.

McMorran BJ, Ningtyas DC, Leitner F, Javed K, Sawbridge M, Hicks SM, et al. Platelets Bind Senescent Red Blood Cells and Mediate Their Clearance from the Circulation. Blood. 2022;140(Supplement 1):2645-6.

Lee CSM, Liang HPH, Connor DE, Dey A, Tohidi-Esfahani I, Campbell H, et al. A novel flow cytometry procoagulant assay for diagnosis of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia. Blood Adv. 2022;6(11):3494-506.

Kuter DJ, Efraim M, Mayer J, Trněný M, McDonald V, Bird R, et al. Rilzabrutinib, an Oral BTK Inhibitor, in Immune Thrombocytopenia. New England Journal of Medicine. 2022;386(15):1421-31.

Kuter DJ, Efraim M, Kaplan Z, Mayer J, Choi P, Jansen A, et al. S291: PHASE I/II STUDY OF RILZABRUTINIB, AN ORAL BRUTON TYROSINE KINASE INHIBITOR, IN PATIENTS WITH IMMUNE THROMBOCYTOPENIA: LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP. HemaSphere. 2022;6:192-3.

Favaloro EJ, Clifford J, Leitinger E, Parker M, Sung P, Chunilal S, et al. Assessment of immunological anti-platelet factor 4 antibodies for vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) in a large Australian cohort: A multicenter study comprising 1284 patients. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. 2022;20(12):2896-908.

Crispin PJ, Choi PY, Gardiner EE. SkM-ing information from traumatized tissue. J Thromb Haemost. 2022;20(6):1306-8.

Choi PY, Merriman E, Bennett A, Enjeti AK, Tan CW, Goncalves I, et al. Consensus guidelines for the management of adult immune thrombocytopenia in Australia and New Zealand. Med J Aust. 2022;216(1):43-52.

Choi PY, Hsu D, Tran HA, Tan CW, Enjeti A, Chen VMY, et al. Immune thrombocytopenia following vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Haematologica. 2022;107(5):1193-6.

Aitken L, Patel R, D'Rozario J, Choi P. Alemtuzumab-induced red cell aplasia and other immune cytopenias: not so ‘pure’. Immunotherapy. 2022;14(2):95-9.

Nazy I, Sachs UJ, Arnold DM, McKenzie SE, Choi P, Althaus K, et al. Recommendations for the clinical and laboratory diagnosis of VITT against COVID-19: Communication from the ISTH SSC Subcommittee on Platelet Immunology. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. 2021;19(6):1585-8.

McCaughan G, Di Ciaccio P, Ananda-Rajah M, Gilroy N, MacIntyre R, Teh B, et al. COVID-19 vaccination in haematology patients: an Australian and New Zealand consensus position statement. Internal Medicine Journal. 2021;51(5):763-8.

Kuter DJ, Tzvetkov N, Efraim M, Kaplan Z, Mayer J, Choi P, et al. Updated phase I/II safety and efficacy results for oral bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor rilzabrutinib in patients with relapsed/refractory immune thrombocytopenia. Blood. 2021;138:14.

Kuter D, Tzvetkov N, Efraim M, Kaplan Z, Mayer J, Choi P, et al. 426. Phase I/II Ongoing Study of Rilzabrutinib, an Oral Bruton Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, in Immune Thrombocytopenia: Extended Follow‐up and Long‐term Analyses with Optimal Dose. Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis. 2021;5(S2).

Craft ML, Edwards M, Jain TP, Choi PY. R2 and R2* MRI assessment of liver iron content in an undifferentiated diagnostic population with hyperferritinaemia, and impact on clinical decision making. Eur J Radiol. 2021;135:109473.

Choi PY, Grace RF, Therese Ahlen M, Nazy I, Sachs UJ, Arnold DM, et al. The SSC platelet immunology register of VITT and VIITP: Toward standardization of laboratory and clinical parameters. J Thromb Haemost. 2021;19(8):2094-5.

Choi PY. Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Vaccination. N Engl J Med. 2021;385(3):e11.

Chen VM, Curnow JL, Tran HA, Choi PY. Australian and New Zealand approach to diagnosis and management of vaccine-induced immune thrombosis and thrombocytopenia. Med J Aust. 2021;215(6):245-9 e1.

Hicks SM, Lee CSM, Ali SA, et al. The molecular basis of immune-based platelet disorders. Clin Sci (Lond). 2020;134(21):2807-22.

Hicks SM, Coupland LA, Jahangiri A, et al. Novel scientific approaches and future research directions in understanding ITP. Platelets. 2020;31(3):315-21.

Choi PY. Lifting the fog over ITP. Platelets. 2020;31(3):283-4.

Choi PY-I, Hicks S, Gardiner EE, et al. Platelet Dysfunction Detected Using Rotational Thromboelastometry (ROTEM) in Severely Thrombocytopenic Patients with a Bleeding Phenotype. Blood. 2019;134(Supplement_1):2357.

Serpell BG, Freeman S, Ritchie D, Choi P, Périard JD, Sharma AP. Altitude exposure as a training & iron overload management strategy post leukemia. J Sci Med Sport 2020;23(1):75-81. (In eng). DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2019.08.292.

Staples L, Milder T, Choi PY. Polycythaemia Secondary to Hormone Replacement Therapy with Tibolone. Case Reports in Hematology. 2017, Article ID 3476349, 2 pages, 2017.

Choi PY, Roncolato F, Badoux X, Ramanathan S, Ho SJ, Chong BH. A novel triple therapy for ITP using high dose dexamethasone, low dose rituximab and cyclosporine (TT4). Blood. 2015;126(4):500-3.

Iraqi M, Perdomo J, Yan F, Choi PY, Chong BH. Immune thrombocytopenia: antiplatelet autoantibodies inhibit proplatelet formation by megakaryocytes and impair platelet production in vitro. Haematologica. 2015;100(5):623-32.

Chong BH, Choi PY, Khachigian L, Perdomo J. Drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2013;27(3):521-40.

Choi PY, Gordon JE, Harvey M, Chong BH. Presentation and outcome of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in a single Australian centre. Intern Med J. 2012;42(7):841-5.

Choi PY, Straube B, Cook C, Weyden CVD, Ramanathan S, Taylor P, Roncolato F, Chong B; The Mortality of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Bloodstream Infections (VRE BSI). Blood 2011; 118 (21): 4928.

Choi PY, Rasko JEJ. The challenge of investigating thrombocytopenia. Medicine Today. 2011;12(2):26-35.

Choi PY, Phillips KL, Rae I. High-dose intravenous flucloxacillin may affect warfarin therapy. Med J Aust. 2011;194(11):613.

Choi PY, Dunkley S, Rasko JEJ. Immune thrombocytopenia: a diagnosis of exclusion. Medicine Today. 2011;12(3):41-6.

Choi PY, Gibson J. Assessment of Haemostasis - Part 3. Medical Observer. 2010;August(27):23-5.

Choi PY, Gibson J. Assessment of Haemostasis - Part 2. Medical Observer. 2010;August(20):27-9.

Choi PY, Gibson J. Assessment of Haemostasis - Part 1. Medical Observer. 2010;August(13):23-5.

Choi P. Perinephric Haematopoiesis. MJA 2008; 188 (4): 250