Dr Alexander Brill PhD

• MD
• PhD in human physiology
• Member of International Society on Thrombosis & Haemostasis

Alexander Brill has more than 18 years of research experience in the cardiovascular and platelet field. He received his MD degree from the Saratov State University (Russia) in 1995 and started his PhD research. He specialized in platelet physiology and effects of laser irradiation on platelet properties.

In 1998, Alexander received his PhD degree and joined the team of Professor Ofer Lider at the Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel) as a postdoc. His research at the Weizmann Institute was focused on the physiology of adaptive immune system, predominantly T lymphocytes. During two years at the Weizmann Institute, Alexander was studying interactions of T lymphocytes with their microenvironment, extracellular matrix proteins and other cells.

In 2001, he became a head of the research branch at Coagulation Unit, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel. His research interests during his work at Hadassah included platelet non-haemostatic activities and their role in angiogenesis and inflammation.

In 2007, Alexander Brill joined the lab of Professor Denisa Wagner at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA. At Harvard, he was dealing with various models of cardiovascular diseases and developed a new model of deep vein thrombosis. In March 2013, Alexander Brill was appointed as a Birmingham Fellow at the University of Birmingham. Alexander has published more than 50 peer-reviewed papers and a chapter in the "Platelets" textbook.

• Vascular Biology and Pathology 3rd year BMedSci Module
• Cell communication in disease
• MBChB Year 2 Cardiovascular
• BSc 1st year Cardiorespiratory Science: Fundamental Principles
• BDS Cardiovascular & Respiratory Systems

• PhD Student

Alex's primary research interests focus on mechanisms of thrombosis- and/or ischemia-reperfusion-related cardiovascular diseases, such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), stroke and abdominal aortic aneurism. Recently, he demonstrated the pivotal role of von Willebrand factor (VWF), a major adhesive protein in the vessel wall, in initiation of DVT. This study identified interaction of VWF with platelet receptor GPIb a as a potential promising target to prevent DVT.

In another study, Alex uncovered a novel unexpected role in DVT of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs), a recently discovered biological entity consisting of DNA, histones and some other neutrophil proteins. These findings represent a new model of thrombosis, involving NETs as a thrombus-supporting network additional to the classic meshwork of fibrin. Alex has also demonstrated a protective function of High Density Lipoprotein (HDL, "good cholesterol") against DVT and a possibility to use the protein component of HDL as a pharmacological approach for DVT prophylaxis.

At present, Alex explores the impact of innate immune system in DVT and stroke.

• Member of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis