Dear Learners,
Welcome to the Rare Bleeding Disorders (RBD) module on The Blood Project. Rare bleeding disorders are scattered across medical practice, often presenting as diagnostic puzzles with bleeding patterns that don’t fit familiar frameworks. This module brings together comprehensive, expert-curated information to help you recognize, investigate, and manage these conditions with confidence.
Here you’ll find diverse content formats, including case studies, infographics, quizzes, podcasts, and video lectures, all designed to build clinical reasoning and deepen understanding of RBDs across the lifespan. You’ll also encounter patient perspectives and historical context that illuminate both the lived experience and evolving scientific understanding of these conditions.
This module reflects The Blood Project’s commitment to presenting disease education through clinical, scientific, historical, and humanistic lenses. We welcome your feedback and questions as we continue to develop and refine this resource.
Meet the Co-Editors
Kenneth A. Bauer, MD
Co-Editor, RBD Module
Kenneth A. Bauer, MD is Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He specializes in the evaluation and management of patients with thrombotic and hemostatic disorders. He also serves as Chief of the Hematology Division at New England Baptist Hospital. He was previously Chief of the Hematology Section at VA Boston Healthcare System. Dr. Bauer received his medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California. He completed his residency in medicine at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics in Illinois. He was a Fellow in Medical Oncology and a Clinical/Research Fellow in the Division of Thrombosis and Hemostasis at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and was also a Clinical/Research Fellow in the Hematology-Oncology Division at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He currently serves as Deputy Editor of the ASH Hematology Education Book and has published over 250 original reports, reviews, and book chapters.
Roelof Bekendam, MD, PhD
Co-Editor, RBD Module
Roelof Bekendam, MD, PhD, is an attending physician and Instructor in Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. His training includes medical education at Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, internship and residency at Boston University Medical Center, and fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.