====== Menaka Pai ======

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Dr. **Menaka Pai** is a Canadian hematologist and thrombosis medicine physician in Ontario, Canada. She is notable in the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] for her role on the [[Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table]].

===== Education =====

Dr. Pai completed her medical training at [[McMaster University]] and the [[University of Toronto]]. She holds a Masters degree in Health Research Methodology from McMaster University.((//About Us.// Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/about/#pai-menaka))

===== Affiliations =====

==== American Society of Hematology ====

Pai is Chair of the [[American Society of Hematology]]’s Guideline Oversight Subcommittee.((//Menaka Pai - McMaster Experts.// McMaster University. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://archive.ph/QCpdm))

==== Hamilton Health Sciences ====

Pai is a hematologist and thrombosis medicine physician, Head of Service for Benign Hematology at [[Hamilton Health Sciences]], and Quality Lead for Transfusion Medicine in the Hamilton Regional Laboratory Medicine Program.((//About Us.// Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/about/#pai-menaka))

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In her role at HHS, Pai acted as a Local Principal Investigator for the "CONvalescent Plasma for Hospitalized Adults With COVID-19 Respiratory Illness" (CONCOR-1) study, funded by [[Canadian Blood
Services]], [[Héma-Québec]], [[University of Toronto]] (Toronto COVID-19 Action Initiative 2020), [[Université de Montréal]], [[Canadian Institutes of Health Research]] COVID-19 May 2020 Rapid Research Funding Opportunity, [[Ontario COVID-19 Rapid Research Fund]], [[Fondation du CHU Ste-Justine]], [[Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation du Québec]], [[Fonds de Recherche du Québec]], [[University Health Network]] Emergent Access Innovation Fund, [[Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre]] (University Health Academic Health Science Centre Alternative Funding Plan; Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Foundation), [[Saskatchewan Ministry of Health]], [[University of Alberta Hospital Foundation]], [[public_health_agencies:Alberta Health Services]] COVID-19 Foundation Competition, [[Fondation du CHUM]], [[Ottawa Hospital Academic Medical Organization]], [[Ottawa Hospital Foundation]] COVID-19 Research Fund, [[Sinai Health System Foundation]], and [[McMaster University]].((Bégin, P., Callum, J., Jamula, E., Cook, R., Heddle, N. M., Tinmouth, A., Zeller, M. P., Beaudoin-Bussières, G., Amorim, L., Bazin, R., Loftsgard, K. C., Carl, R., Chassé, M., Cushing, M. M., Daneman, N., Devine, D. V., Dumaresq, J., Fergusson, D. A., Gabe, C., Glesby, M. J., … Arnold, D. M. (2021). //Convalescent plasma for hospitalized patients with COVID-19: an open-label, randomized controlled trial.// Nature medicine, 27(11), 2012–2024. https://archive.ph/5vlNR))
==== International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis ====

Pai received funding through [[McMaster University]] from the [[International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis]] (ISTH) to publish a Guideline on Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP).((Krolak, B. (2018, April 25). //ISTH Partners with McMaster University to Publish a Guideline on Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura.// International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis. https://archive.ph/XsK2Q)) ((Pai, M. (2020, June). //Anemia and Heavy Menstrual Bleeding.// Ontario Regional Blood Coordinating Network. https://transfusionontario.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Anemia-and-Heavy-Menstrual-Bleeding.pdf)) ((Zheng, X., Vesely, S., Cataland, S., Coppo, P., Geldziler, B., Iorio, A., Matsumoto, M., Mustafa, R., Pai, M., Rock, G., Russell, L., Tarawneh, R., Valdes, J., & Peyvandi, F. (2020). //ISTH guidelines for the diagnosis of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.// J Thromb Haemost, 18(10), 2486–2495. https://doi.org/10.1111/jth.15006))

==== McMaster University ====

Pai is an Associate Professor of Medicine at [[McMaster University]], specializing in Hematology & Thromboembolism.((//Menaka Pai - McMaster Experts.// McMaster University. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://archive.ph/QCpdm)) ((Menaka Pai, MSc MD FRCPC (@MPaiMD). //Assoc Professor Hematology & Thromboembolism  @McMasterU   @HamHealthSci   Bleeds, clots, transfusion, quality, guidelines, equity  Wife, mom of 2 little boys [Profile].// Twitter. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://archive.ph/LYMPv)) She was a speaker on the topic of [[COVID-19]] and [[thrombosis]] at the McMaster International Review Course in Internal Medicine event in 2021.((MIRCIM: McMaster International Review Course in Internal Medicine. (2021, June 14). //Prof. Menaka Pai invitation.// Facebook. https://web.archive.org/web/20220127200510/https://www.facebook.com/MIRCIMcourse/videos/155770989922716/)) ((//Speakers - Prof. Menaka Pai.// Empendium. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://archive.ph/Dp34T)) She is also a member of the [[McMaster Centre for Transfusion Research]] (MCTR).((//McMaster Centre for Transfusion Research.// Contact Us. McMaster University. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://archive.ph/lK4EP))

==== Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table ====

Pai is a member of the [[Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table]] and Co-Chair of the Drugs & Biologics Clinical Practice Guidelines Working Group.((//About Us.// Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/about/#pai-menaka))
==== Scripps Health ====

Pai was an invited speaker at the 2020 [[Scripps Health|Scripps]] MD Anderson Cancer Center‘s Clinical Hematology and Oncology Conference, where she spoke about thrombosis in intensive care patients.((Pai, M. (2021, August 27). //Declaration of Interest.// Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. https://web.archive.org/web/20220108230011/https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Declaration-of-Interest_Drugs-and-Biologics-Clinical-Practice-Guidelines-Working-Group_Menaka-Pai_20210827.pdf)) ((//Clinical Hematology and Oncology: 2020.// (2020). Scripps. https://web.archive.org/web/20220127195500/https://www.scripps.org/sparkle-assets/documents/2020_hemonc_brochure_v5.pdf))

==== Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis Research Institute ====

Pai is a member of the [[Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis Research Institute]] (TAARI).((//Menaka Pai.// TAARI. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://archive.ph/i4iuJ))
==== Thrombosis Canada ====

Pai was paid by [[Thrombosis Canada]] to develop an "online thrombophilia educational tool."((Pai, M. (2021, August 27). //Declaration of Interest.// Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. https://web.archive.org/web/20220108230011/https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Declaration-of-Interest_Drugs-and-Biologics-Clinical-Practice-Guidelines-Working-Group_Menaka-Pai_20210827.pdf)) She also participated on the Planning Committee of a November 2015 event for TC and [[McMaster University]] called "Thrombosis Practice Pearls", which was sponsored by [[pharmaceutical_companies:Bayer]], [[pharmaceutical_companies:Bristol-Myers Squibb]], [[pharmaceutical_companies:Pfizer]], [[pharmaceutical_companies:Boehringer Ingelheim]], [[pharmaceutical_companies:Sanofi]], [[pharmaceutical_companies:AstraZeneca]], [[pharmaceutical_companies:LEO Pharma]], [[medical_technology_companies:Medtronic]], and [[pharmaceutical_companies:Octapharma]].((//Thrombosis Practice Pearls.// (2015). Thrombosis Canada. https://web.archive.org/web/20220127194749/https://thrombosiscanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/ThromboPracticePearls_2015_web.pdf))

==== Wolters Kluwer ====

Pai co-authors articles pertaining to prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism for UpToDate, an online medical textbook published by [[Wolters Kluwer]].((Pai, M. (2021, August 27). //Declaration of Interest.// Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. https://web.archive.org/web/20220108230011/https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Declaration-of-Interest_Drugs-and-Biologics-Clinical-Practice-Guidelines-Working-Group_Menaka-Pai_20210827.pdf)) ((//Patient education: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (Beyond the Basics).// UpToDate. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://archive.ph/P6A1N))

===== Relationships with Pharmaceutical Companies =====

Pai received payment from [[pharmaceutical_companies:Novartis]] for presentation of Medical Grand Rounds at Bluewater Health on September 11, 2019.((Pai, M. (2021, August 27). //Declaration of Interest.// Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. https://web.archive.org/web/20220108230011/https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Declaration-of-Interest_Drugs-and-Biologics-Clinical-Practice-Guidelines-Working-Group_Menaka-Pai_20210827.pdf)) ((//Supplement 4: Disclosure of Interest Forms for Panelists.// (2021, February 9). https://ia601504.us.archive.org/9/items/advancesADV2020003763C-suppl5/advancesADV2020003763C-suppl4.pdf)) She has also received speakers bureau/honoraria funds from [[pharmaceutical_companies:Bayer]],((Pai, M. (2020, June). //Anemia and Heavy Menstrual Bleeding.// Ontario Regional Blood Coordinating Network. https://transfusionontario.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Anemia-and-Heavy-Menstrual-Bleeding.pdf)) and has attended at least one advisory committee meeting for [[pharmaceutical_companies:Pfizer]].((Pai, M. (2021, August 27). //Declaration of Interest.// Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. https://web.archive.org/web/20220108230011/https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Declaration-of-Interest_Drugs-and-Biologics-Clinical-Practice-Guidelines-Working-Group_Menaka-Pai_20210827.pdf)) ((//Contributor disclosures.// UpToDate. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://archive.ph/6XqtC))

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Her payments from Pfizer and Novartis are also described as "personal fees" in her conflict of interest disclosure for a study discussing vaccine-induced thrombocytopenia following COVID-19 vaccination.((Klok, F. A., Pai, M., Huisman, M. V., & Makris, M. (2021). //Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia.// The Lancet Haematology. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2352-3026(21)00306-9))

Pai held shares in [[medical_technology_companies:Medtronic]] worth $813.00 USD as of June 6, 2020, which she divested on June 8, 2020. Her husband held Medtronic shares worth $16,300.00 USD as of June 6, 2020, which had not been divested at the time of her disclosure to the [[American Society of Hematology]].((Cuker, A., Tseng, E. K., Nieuwlaat, R., Angchaisuksiri, P., Blair, C., Dane, K., Davila, J., DeSancho, M. T., Diuguid, D., Griffin, D. O., Kahn, S. R., Klok, F. A., Lee, A. I., Neumann, I., Pai, A., Pai, M., Righini, M., Sanfilippo, K. M., Siegal, D., Skara, M., … Schünemann, H. J. (2021). //American Society of Hematology 2021 guidelines on the use of anticoagulation for thromboprophylaxis in patients with COVID-19.// Blood advances, 5(3), 872–888. https://doi.org/10.1182/bloodadvances.2020003763)) ((//Supplement 4: Disclosure of Interest Forms for Panelists.// (2021, February 9). https://ia601504.us.archive.org/9/items/advancesADV2020003763C-suppl5/advancesADV2020003763C-suppl4.pdf)) 

===== Media =====

==== Pandemic Politics ====

Pai shared a Tweet stating "OMG there is no food shortage... we're just so accustomed to abundance we're not used to seeing even the occasional empty shelf. You know what there IS a shortage of? CLEAN WATER in so many First Nations communities. Which-unlike eating in a restaurant- actually is a human right," in protest against the [[Freedom Convoy 2022]] and related food shortages resulting from COVID-19 related supply chain interruptions.((Menaka Pai, MSc MD FRCPC (@MPaiMD). //Assoc Professor Hematology & Thromboembolism  @McMasterU   @HamHealthSci   Bleeds, clots, transfusion, quality, guidelines, equity  Wife, mom of 2 little boys [Profile].// Twitter. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://archive.ph/LYMPv))

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She also indicated support for Neil Young after he presented an ultimatum to [[Spotify]], demanding they remove the [[Joe Rogan|Joe Rogan Experience]] from their platform due to frequent alleged "misinformation" following viral interviews with [[Robert Malone]] and [[Peter McCullough]].((The Joe Rogan Experience. (2021, December 13). //#1747 - Dr. Peter A. McCullough.// Spotify. https://archive.ph/tTyEu)) ((The Joe Rogan Experience. (2021, December 31). //#1757 - Dr. Robert Malone, MD.// Spotify. https://archive.ph/F5N5X))

==== COVID-19 Vaccines ====

In an April 2021 article, Pai insisted that the benefits of the [[University of Oxford|Oxford]]-[[pharmaceutical_companies:AstraZeneca]] [[pharmaceutical_products:ChAdOx1 nCoV-19]] [[COVID-19 vaccines|COVID-19 vaccine]] product outweighed the risk of [[covid-19_vaccines:adverse_events:thrombocytopenia|vaccine-induced thrombocytopenia]] (VITT), arguing that every decision carries risk. She argues that the risk of blood clotting resulting from [[COVID-19]] infection is higher than from the injection.((Vohra-Miller, S. (2021, April 19). //Understanding the blood clot issue behind the AstraZeneca vaccine and its safety.// Hamilton Health Sciences. https://archive.ph/RsHWn))

In November 2021, she advocated strongly for 5-11 year olds to receive a [[COVID-19]] injection. She described it as "the socially responsible thing to do," claiming that it's a matter of "getting vaccinated" to protect each other - despite the fact that by the time of publication, it was a matter of common knowledge and robust scientific consensus that none of the available products effectively prevent or reduce community transmission of the [[SARS-CoV-2]] pathogen.((Mallapaty, S. (2021). //COVID vaccines cut the risk of transmitting Delta — but not for long.// Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-02689-y)) ((‫חיסון//‬ ‫קבלת‬ ‫לאחר‬ ‫מאומתים‬ ‫קב‬ ‫בקרב‬ ’ ‫הראשונים‬ ‫המחוסנים‬.// Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/reports/vaccine-efficacy-safety-follow-up-committee/he/files_publications_corona_two-dose-vaccination-data.pdf)) ((Callaway, E. (2021). //COVID vaccine boosters: the most important questions.// Nature, 596(7871), 178–180. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-02158-6)) ((Hains, T. (2021, August 6). //CDC Director: Vaccines No Longer Prevent You From Spreading COVID.// Real Clear Politics. https://archive.ph/EducC)) ((The Deprogram. (2021, August 8). //CDC Director Rochelle Walensky tells Wolf Blitzer that COVID Vaccines won’t prevent transmission.// YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKFWGvvlVLI)) She described the products as "safe and effective".((//Altruism, empathy and COVID vaccines for kids.// (2021, November 22). Hamilton Health Sciences. https://archive.ph/YR3lL))

She also insinuated [[COVID-19]] is a "vaccine-preventable disease", which the [[Government of Canada]] itself refutes.((Public Health Agency of Canada. (2021, July 22). //Diseases and conditions.// Government of Canada. https://web.archive.org/web/20211104163241/https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases.html?vaccine-preventable))

In a January 12, 2022 article for McMaster's "Business and Economy" blog, she expressed that "we are slowly (too slowly) vaccinating the world, which will ultimately ensure that the virus is kept in check."((//McMaster experts on key themes shaping our world in 2022.// (2022, January 12). Brighter World; McMaster University. https://archive.ph/SwMSj))