Dr Alexander Brill MD, PhD

Department of Cardiovascular Sciences
Associate Professor in Thrombosis and Haemostasis

Contact details

Telephone: +44 (0) 121 415 8679
Email: a.brill@bham.ac.uk

Address: University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Alex is Associate Professor in Thrombosis and Haemostasis in Cardiovascular Sciences and Deputy Head of Research in the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Birmingham. He is an internationally recognised researcher in thrombosis, thromboinflammation and vascular biology, with a multidisciplinary research programme spanning cardiovascular science, haematology, immunology, bioengineering and translational medicine.

His research focuses on understanding how vascular, inflammatory, immune and haemodynamic mechanisms interact to drive thrombotic disease, particularly deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and stroke. His work has made important contributions to defining the roles of neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), mast cells, platelets, von Willebrand factor and the vascular endothelium in venous thrombosis. A major objective of his research is to identify new therapeutic approaches that target the inflammatory and vascular components of thrombosis rather than relying solely on conventional anticoagulation.

Alex also develops advanced human-relevant models of thrombosis, including endothelialised microfluidic and vein-on-chip systems that reproduce key features of venous haemodynamics and valve geometry. These platforms combine vascular biology, bioengineering, advanced microscopy and quantitative imaging, with the longer-term aim of improving translational relevance and a major focus on developing human-relevant experimental systems that can replace animal models in thrombosis research .

Alex received his MD and PhD from Saratov State University, Russia. He undertook postdoctoral research at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel before leading the Research Branch of the Coagulation Unit at Hadassah Medical Center. In 2007, he moved to Harvard Medical School, where he worked in Professor Denisa Wagner's laboratory investigating mechanisms of thrombosis and cardiovascular diseases and was promoted to Instructor in 2011. He joined the University of Birmingham as an independent Birmingham Fellow in 2013 and subsequently held a British Heart Foundation Senior Basic Science Research Fellowship.

Alex is Co-Chair of the Scientific and Standardization Committee on Models of Thrombosis and Hemostasis of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) and Associate Editor of Frontiers in Immunology. He has secured more than £4 million in competitive research funding as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator and has published approximately 70 peer-reviewed papers, including work in Science, Blood, PNAS, Nature Communications, Circulation Research and Blood Advances. His publications have received more than 16,500 citations, and he regularly contributes invited lectures, peer review, grant assessment and postgraduate research training internationally.

ORCID

Qualifications

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

Biography

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.

Teaching

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

Postgraduate supervision

PhD Student

Research

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.

Other activities

Member of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Rayes, J, Luo, Y, Bhopal, AS, Whitworth, K, Iqbal, AJ & Brill, A 2026, 'Mast cells enhance venous thrombus stability and lung fibrin deposition in murine sepsis', Blood Advances. https://doi.org/10.1182/bloodadvances.2026020424

Littleton, ET, Thomas, SG, Woodhead, E, Rayes, J & Brill, A 2026, 'Neutrophil α-defensin-1 is present in human stroke thrombi and induces NETosis in vitro', Frontiers in immunology, vol. 17, 1821379. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1821379

El-awaisi, J, Perrella, G, Mayer, N, Tinkova, V, Simon, CJ, Grygielska, B, Watson, SP, Dimitrov, JD, Brill, A, Hassan, E, Nicolson, PLR, Kavanagh, D, Kalia, N & Rayes, J 2025, 'Spleen tyrosine kinase inhibition mitigates hemin-induced thromboinflammation in an organ-specific manner in sickle cell mice', Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. https://doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA.124.32207

Bourne, JH, Perrella, G, El-Awaisi, J, Terry, LV, Tinkova, V, Hogg, RL, Gant, P, Grygielska, B, Kalia, N, Kavanagh, D, Brill, A, Dimitrov, JD, Watson, SP & Rayes, J 2024, 'Hydroxychloroquine inhibits hemolysis-induced arterial thrombosis ex vivo and improves lung perfusion in hemin-treated mice', Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, vol. 22, no. 7, pp. 2018-2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtha.2024.04.008

Smith, C, Campos, J, Brown, H, Ivanova, V-S, Harbi, M, Garcia Quintanilla, L, Jossi, S, Perez-Toledo, M, Rookes, K, Brill, A, Theodore, L, Owens, T, LaStant, J, Foulke, MC, Mukai, S, Francesco, M, Storek, M, Hicks, A, Langrish, C, Nunn, PA, Cunningham, A, Chauhan, A, Thomas, MR, Watson, S & Nicolson, P 2024, 'Selective Btk inhibition by PRN1008/PRN473 blocks human CLEC-2 & PRN473 reduces venous thrombosis formation in mice', Blood Advances. https://doi.org/10.1182/bloodadvances.2024012713

Kardeby, C, Evans, A, Campos, J, Al-Wahaibi, AM, Smith, C, Slater, A, Martin, E, Severin, S, Brill, A, Pejler, G, Sun, Y & Watson, S 2023, 'Heparin and heparin proteoglycan-mimetics activate platelets via PEAR1 and PI3Kβ', Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 101-116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtha.2022.10.008

Bourne, JH, Campos, J, Hopkin, SJ, Whitworth, K, Palis, J, Senis, YA, Rayes, J, Iqbal, AJ & Brill, A 2023, 'Megakaryocyte NLRP3 hyperactivation induces mild anemia and potentiates inflammatory response in mice', Frontiers in immunology, vol. 14, 1226196. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1226196

Baksamawi, HA, Alexiadis, A, Vigolo, D & Brill, A 2023, 'Platelet accumulation in an endothelium-coated elastic vein valve model of deep vein thrombosis is mediated by GPIbα—VWF interaction', Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine, vol. 10, 1167884. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2023.1167884

Porembskaya, O, Zinserling, V, Tomson, V, Toropova, Y, Starikova, E, Maslei, V, Bulavinova, N, Kirik, O, Syrtsova, M, Laberko, L, Galchenko, M, Kravchuk, V, Saiganov, S & Brill, A 2022, 'Neutrophils mediate pulmonary artery thrombosis in situ', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 23, no. 10, 5829. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23105829

Krysko, O, Bourne, J, Kondakova, E, Galova, E, Whitworth, K, Newby, ML, Bachert, C, Hill, H, Crispin, M, Stamataki, Z, Cunningham, A, Pugh, M, Khan, A, Rayes, J, Vedunova, M, Krysko, D & Brill, A 2022, 'Severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with high numbers of alveolar mast cells and their degranulation', Frontiers in immunology, vol. 13, 968981. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.968981

Bourne, J, Beristain Covarrubias, N, Zuidscherwoude, M, Campos, J, Di, Y, Garlick, E, Colicchia, M, Terry, L, Thomas, S, Brill, A, Bayry, J, Watson, S & Rayes, J 2021, 'CLEC-2 Prevents Accumulation and Retention of Inflammatory Macrophages During Murine Peritonitis', Frontiers in immunology, vol. 12, 693974. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.693974

Preprint

Brill, A, Bourne, J, Campos, J, Hopkin, S, Whitworth, K, Palis, J, Senis, Y, Rayes, J & Iqbal, A 2023 'Megakaryocyte NLRP3 hyperactivation induces anemia and potentiates inflammatory response in mice' Research Square. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2616664/v1

Review article

Bhopal, AS, Luo, Y, Grover, LM & Brill, A 2026, 'Preclinical Models of Venous Thrombosis: A Critical Appraisal for Translational Research', Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, vol. 46, no. 7, e323862. https://doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA.126.323862

Smith, SRM, Morgan, NV & Brill, A 2025, 'Venous thrombosis unchained: Pandora’s box of noninflammatory mechanisms', Blood Advances, vol. 9, no. 12, pp. 3002-3013. https://doi.org/10.1182/bloodadvances.2024014114

Rayes, J & Brill, A 2024, 'Hot under the clot: venous thrombogenesis is an inflammatory process', Blood, vol. 144, no. 5, pp. 477-489. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2023022522

View all publications in research portal