Birmingham Platelet Group

• Understanding mechanisms of thrombosis and thrombocytopenia in COVID-19 and with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and Platelet Factor 4 (PF4) related conditions
• The effect of Btk inhibition on platelet activation and thrombosis (focussing on hepatic portal vein thrombosis)
• Modelling activation of platelet immune receptors using ordinary differential equations
• Developing nanobodies as novel tools for platelet activation
• Novel antiplatelet drugs targeting GPVI
• Precision medicine to improve antiplatelet therapy for patients with acute coronary syndromes
• Cell surface receptors and their signalling pathways, focusing on stimulatory and inhibitory tyrosine kinase-linked receptors e.g. GPVI, CLEC-2, FcγRIIA and PEAR1
• Structural studies on ligand binding
• The genetics of platelet bleeding disorders
• Megakaryocytopoiesis and platelet formation
• Models of venous and arterial thrombosis
• Pre-clinical models of cardiovascular diseases
• Actin polymerisation
• Super-resolution microscopy
• Platelet function testing
• Granule biogenesis and secretion
• Role of platelets in inflammation and infection
• Platelet procoagulant activity
• Sickle cell disease

Neil Morgan

1. Stapley RJ, Sawkulycz X, Englert M, Araujo GHM, Quintanilla LG, Smith S, Ahmed A, Haining EJ, Kaur N, Bacon A, Pisarev AV, Poulter NS, Rayes J, Kavanagh D, Thomas SG, Montague SJ, Nagy Z, Morgan NV (2024) Platelet-specific SLFN14 deletion causes macrothrombocytopenia and platelet dysfunction through dysregulated megakaryocyte and platelet gene expression. J Clin Invest. in press
2. Luo M, Jia X, Wang Z-W, Yang J-Y, Wang W, Chen J, Ou J-Y, Feng J-X, Yu B, Wang S, Huang L, Morgan NV, Deng K, Chen T, Zhang Q, Gao S (2025) Structural and functional characterization of human SLFN14. Nucleic Acids Res. 53(10):gkaf484
3. Fletcher SJ, Johnson B, Lowe GC, Bem D, Drake S, Lordkipanidzé M, Sánchez Guiú I, Dawood B, Rivera J, Simpson MA, Daly ME, Motwani J, Collins PW, Watson SP, Morgan NV (2015) SLFN14 mutations underlie thrombocytopenia with excessive bleeding and platelet secretion defects. J Clin Invest, 125 (9), 3600-05.

Pip Nicolson

1. Nicolson PLR, Montague SJ, Buka RJ, Calvert A, Sheppard JI, Zhang Y, Wang JJ, Sharman J, Hassan E, Harrison J, Lawrence E, El-Dalil P, Parekh D Osman H, Gordon TP, Nazy I, Warkentin TE, Lester WA. Anti-PF4 mediated thrombocytopenia and thrombosis associated with acute cytomegalovirus infection displays both HIT-like and VITT-like characteristics. Br J Haematol. 2025;206:1737–1742 http://doi.org/10.1111/bjh.20092
2. Smith CW, Campos J, Brown H, Jooss NJ, Ivanova VS, Harbi M, Garcia Quintanilla L, Jossi S, Perez-Toledo M, Rookes K, Brill A, Theodore LN, Owens T, LaStant J, Foulke MC, Mukai S, Francesco M, Storek S, Hicks A, Langrish C, Nunn PA, Cunningham AF, Chuahan A, Thomas MR, Watson SP, Nicolson PLR. Selective Btk inhibition by PRN1008/PRN473 blocks human CLEC-2 & PRN473 reduces venous thrombosis formation in mice. Blood Adv. 2024;21(8):5557-5570
3. Smith CW, Montague, SJ, Kardeby C, Di Y, Lowe GC, Lester WA, Watson SP and Nicolson PLR. Anti-Platelet Drugs Block Platelet Activation by Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombocytopenia and Thrombosis Patient Serum. Blood 2021;138(25):2733-2740.

Natalie Poulter

1. Jooss NJ, Smith CW, Pike JA, Farndale RW, Henskens YMC, Watson SP, Heemskerk JWM, Poulter NS. Platelet glycoprotein VI cluster size is related to thrombus formation and phosphatidylserine exposure in collagen-adherent platelets under arterial shear. J Thromb Haemost. 2023 Aug;21(8):2260-2267. doi:10.1016/j.jtha.2023.04.028.
2. Jooss NJ, Smith CW, Slater A, Montague SJ, Di Y, O'Shea C, Thomas MR, Henskens YMC, Heemskerk JWM, Watson SP, Poulter NS. Anti-GPVI nanobody blocks collagen- and atherosclerotic plaque-induced GPVI clustering, signaling, and thrombus formation. J Thromb Haemost. 2022 Nov;20(11):2617-2631. doi: 10.1111/jth.15836.
3. Pallini C, Pike JA, O'Shea C, Andrews RK, Gardiner EE, Watson SP, Poulter NS. Immobilized collagen prevents shedding and induces sustained GPVI clustering and signaling in platelets. Platelets. 2021 Jan 2;32(1):59-73. doi:10.1080/09537104.2020.1849607.

Mark Thomas

1. Alenazy FO, Harbi MH, Kavanagh DP, Price J, Brady P, Hargreaves O, Harrison P, Slater A, Tiwari A, Nicolson PLR, Connolly DL, Kirchhof P, Kalia N, Jandrot-Perrus M, Mangin PH, Watson SP, Thomas MR. Amplified inhibition of atherosclerotic plaque-induced platelet activation by glenzocimab with dual antiplatelet therapy. J Thromb Haemost. 2023 Nov;21(11):3236-3251.
2. Smith CW, Harbi MH, Garcia-Quintanilla L, Rookes K, Brown H, Poulter NS, Watson SP, Nicolson PLR, Thomas MR. The Btk inhibitor AB-95-LH34 potently inhibits atherosclerotic plaque-induced thrombus formation and platelet procoagulant activity. J Thromb Haemost. 2022 Dec;20(12):2939-2952.
3. Harbi MH, Smith CW, Alenazy FO, Nicolson PLR, Tiwari A, Watson SP, Thomas MR. Antithrombotic Effects of Fostamatinib in Combination with Conventional Antiplatelet Drugs. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Jun 23;23(13):6982. doi: 10.3390/ijms23136982.

Steve Watson

1. Maqsood Z, Clark JC, Martin EM, Cheung YFH, Morán LA, Watson SET, Pike JA, Di Y, Poulter NS, Slater A, Lange BMH, Nieswandt B, Eble JA, Tomlinson MG, Owen DM, Stegner D, Bridge LJ, Wierling C, Watson SP (2022) Experimental validation of computerised models of clustering of platelet glycoprotein receptors that signal via tandem SH2 domain proteins. PLOS Comp Biol 18:e1010708.
2. Perez M, Beristain-Covarrubias N, Pillaye J, Persuad RR, Marcial-Juarez E, Jossie SE, Hitchcock JR, Alshayea A, Channell WM, Wiersma NTJ, Lamerton RE, Kavanagh DP, Carestia A, Horsnell WG, Henderson IR, Mackman N, Clark AR, Jenne CN, Rayes J, Watson SP, Cunningham AF (2025) Discrete and conserved inflammatory signatures drive thrombosis in different organs. Nature Commun 16:2356
3. Martin EM, Clark JC, Montague SJ, Morán LA, Di Y, Bull LJ, Whittle L, Raka F, Buka RJ, Zafar I, Kardeby C, Slater A, Watson SP (2024) Trivalent nanobody-based ligands mediate powerful activation of GPVI, CLEC-2 and PEAR1 in human platelets whereas FcγRIIA requires a tetravalent ligand. J Thromb Haemost 22:271-85

Alexander Brill

1. Bourne J, Campos J, Hopkin S, Whitworth K, Palis J, Senis Y, Rayes J, Iqbal A, Brill A. Megakaryocyte NLRP3 hyperactivation induces anemia and potentiates inflammatory response in mice. Front Immunol 2023, doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1226196.
2. Baksamawi HA, Alexiadis A, Vigolo D, Brill A. Platelet accumulation in an endothelium-coated elastic vein valve model of deep vein thrombosis is mediated by GPIba – VWF interaction. Front Cardiovasc Med, doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1167884.
3. Campos J, Ponomaryov T, De Prendergast A, Whitworth K, Smith CW, Khan AO, Kavanagh D, Brill A. Neutrophil extracellular traps and inflammasomes cooperatively promote venous thrombosis in mice. Blood Adv. 2021 May 11;5(9):2319-2324.

Steve Thomas

1. Faulkner EL, Pike JA, Garlick E, Neely RK, Styles IB, Watson SP, Poulter NS, Thomas SG. J Thromb Haemost. 2025 Expansion microscopy allows quantitative characterization of structural organization of platelet aggregates. Aug;23(8):2618-2633. doi: 10.1016/j.jtha.2025.04.014. Epub 2025 Apr 25. PMID: 40288682.
2. Khan AO, Slater A, Maclachlan A, Nicolson PLR, Pike JA, Reyat JS, Yule J, Stapley R, Rayes J, Thomas SG, Morgan NV. Post-translational polymodification of β1-tubulin regulates motor protein localisation in platelet production and function. Haematologica. 2022 Jan 1;107(1):243-259. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2020.270793. PMID: 33327716.
3. Poulter NS, Pollitt AY, Davies A, Malinova D, Nash GB, Hannon MJ, Pikramenou Z, Rappoport JZ, Hartwig JH, Owen DM, Thrasher AJ, Watson SP, Thomas SG. Platelet actin nodules are podosome-like structures dependent on Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein and ARP2/3 complex. Nat Commun. 2015 Jun 1;6:7254. doi: 10.1038/ncomms8254. PMID: 26028144.

Samantha Montague

1. Nicolson PLR, Montague SJ, Buka RJ, Calvert A, Sheppard JI, Zhang Y, Wang JJ, Sharman J, Hassan E, Harrison J, Lawrence E, El-Dalil P, Parekh D, Osman H, Gordon TP, Nazy I, Warkentin TE, Lester WA. Anti-PF4 mediated thrombocytopenia and thrombosis associated with acute cytomegalovirus infection displays both HIT-like and VITT-like characteristics. British Journal of Haematology. 2025. 206(6), 1737-1742. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjh.20092
2. Buka RJ*, Montague SJ*, Moran LA, Martin EM, Slater A, Watson SP, Nicolson PLRN. PF4 activates the c-Mpl-Jak2 pathway in platelets. Blood. 2024. 143(1).64-69. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2023020872
3. Montague SJ*, Price J*, Pennycott K, Pavey NJ, Martin EM, Thirlwell I, Kemble S, Monterio C, Redmond-Motteram L, Lawson N, Reynolds K, Fratter C, Bignell P, Groenheide A, Huskens D, De Laat B, Pike JA, Poulter NS, Thomas SG, Lowe GC, Lancashire J, Harrison P, Morgan NV. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. 2024. 22(8). 2281-2293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtha.2024.02.021.

Alex Slater

1. A. Slater, Y. Di, J. Clark, N. J. Jooss, E. M. Martin, F. Alenazy, M. Thomas, R. Ariëns, A. Herr, N. Poulter, J. Emsley, S. P. Watson. “Structural characterisation of a novel GPVI nanobody-complex reveals a biologically active domain-swapped GPVI dimer conformation” Blood (2021).
2. F. N. Damaskinaki, N. J. Jooss, E. M. Martin, J. C. Clark, M. R. Thomas, N. S. Poulter, J. Emsley, B. Kellam, S. P. Watson, A. Slater “Characterizing the binding of GPVI with nanobody 35 reveals a novel monomeric structure of GPVI where the conformation of D1+D2 is independent of dimerization” Journal of thrombosis and haemostasis (2023)
3. X. Wang, A. Slater, S.C. Lee, N. Harrison, N.L. Pollock, S.E. Bakker, S.Navarro, B. Nieswandt, T.R. Dafforn, Á. García, S.P. Watson, M.G. Tomlinson, Purification and characterisation of the platelet-activating GPVI/FcRγ complex in SMALPs, Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics (2024)

Julie Rayes

1. El-Awaisi J, Perrella G, Mayor N, Tinkova V, Cleary SJ, Grygielska B, Watson SP, Dimitrov JD, Brill A, Hassan E, Nicolson PLR, Kavanagh D, Kalia N, Rayes J. Spleen Tyrosine Kinase Inhibition Mitigates Hemin-Induced Thromboinflammation in an Organ-Specific Manner in Sickle Cell Mice. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2025 Aug 15;45(10):e483–96.
2. Colicchia M, Schrottmaier WC, Perrella G, Reyat JS, Begum J, Slater A, Price J, Clark JC, Zhi Z, Simpson MJ, Bourne JH, Poulter NS, Khan AO, Nicolson PLR, Pugh M, Harrison P, Iqbal AJ, Rainger GE, Watson SP, Thomas MR, Mutch NJ, Assinger A, Rayes J. S100A8/A9 drives the formation of procoagulant platelets through GPIbα. Blood. 2022 Dec 15;140(24):2626-2643.
3. Bourne JH, Colicchia M, Di Y, Martin E, Slater A, Roumenina LT, Dimitrov JD, Watson SP, Rayes J. Heme induces human and mouse platelet activation through C-type-lectin-like receptor-2. Haematologica. 2021 Feb 1;106(2):626-629.

Jocelyn Auger

1. Kalia N, Auger JM, Atkinson B, Watson SP. Critical role of FcR gamma-chain, LAT, PLCgamma2 and thrombin in arteriolar thrombus formation upon mild, laser-induced endothelial injury in vivo. Microcirculation. 2008 May;15(4):325-35. doi: 10.1080/10739680701728822. PMID: 18464161.
2. Auger JM, Watson SP. Dynamic tyrosine kinase-regulated signaling and actin polymerisation mediate aggregate stability under shear. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2008 Aug;28(8):1499-504. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.108.167296. Epub 2008 Jun 5. PMID: 18535286.
3. Auger JM, Kuijpers MJ, Senis YA, Watson SP, Heemskerk JW. Adhesion of human and mouse platelets to collagen under shear: a unifying model. FASEB J. 2005 May;19(7):825-7. doi: 10.1096/fj.04-1940fje. Epub 2005 Mar 9. PMID: 15758040.

For full publications lists see:

• Jocelyn Auger - publications
• Alexander Brill - publications
• Samantha Montague - publications
• Neil Morgan - publications
• Pip Nicolson - publications
• Natalie Poulter - publications
• Julie Rayes - publications
• Alex Slater - publications
• Mark Thomas - publications
• Steve Thomas - publications
• Steve Watson - publications

• Academic Health Science Network
• Academy of Medical Sciences
• British Heart Foundation
• HaemSTAR
• Medical Research Council (MRC)
• National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
• Novartis
• Sanofi
• Wellcome Trust

• European Platelet Network (EUPLAN)
• The Platelet Society
• British Society for Haemostasis and Thrombosis (BSHT)
• GAPP