Dr Mark Thomas BMedSci, BMBS, MRCP, PhD

Dr Mark Thomas

Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences
Associate Professor of Cardiology and Honorary Consultant Cardiologist

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0)121 414 8679
Email
m.r.thomas@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences
College of Medical and Dental Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr Mark Thomas is an Associate Professor of Cardiology and Honorary Consultant Cardiologist working at the University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. The main focus of Mark’s work is translational research that has the potential to benefit patients with coronary artery disease. He is particularly interested in improving antithrombotic treatments and using data science/AI to optimise the treatment of patients who have had heart attacks.

Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences Research Theme: Thrombosis and Haemostasis

Qualifications

  • PhD Antiplatelet pharmacology – University of Sheffield
  • MRCP – Royal College of Physicians, London
  • BMBS – University of Nottingham
  • BSc Biomedical Sciences (First Class Hons) – University of Nottingham

Biography

Dr Mark Thomas completed his medical training at the University of Nottingham and was awarded the AZ Research and Development prize for his BMedSci thesis. He was subsequently awarded a Young Investigator Award by the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis and the Bedi Cardiovascular Medicine Prize by the University of Nottingham for his work related to antiplatelet therapy.

During Mark's MRC Clinical Research Training Fellowship and NIHR Clinical Lectureship he developed expertise in molecular and cellular pharmacology and uses a wide range of laboratory-based techniques, including detailed assessment of platelet function, flow and mass cytometry and advanced imaging techniques. 

Mark strongly believes that data science and machine learning have the potential to transform clinical medicine. He has therefore undertaken training in computer science and has the ability to write software using advanced Python and R programming skills. In addition, he has Specialization certificates in AI in Healthcare (Stanford University, Coursera) and Data Science (Johns Hopkins University, Coursera).

Mark is currently an Associate Professor of Cardiology at the University of Birmingham, where he is developing clinical trials to investigate novel GPVI inhibitors as new treatments for acute coronary syndromes. He is an honorary consultant cardiologist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham and his clinical practice focuses on complex pharmacology, preventative cardiology and cardiac CT, in addition to acute/general cardiology.

Teaching

  • Lectures for undergraduate students
  • Lectures for postgraduate students
  • Bedside-teaching for medical students

Postgraduate supervision

  • Supervision of BSc Biomedical Sciences  students
  • Supervision of MD/PhD students
  • Supervision of Masters students

Research

Cardiovascular Research with Dr Mark Thomas

Mark’s most recent research focuses on novel antiplatelet treatments for patients with acute coronary syndromes. In addition, he is initiating  studies that investigate novel predictors of bleeding and adverse cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndromes.

Mark has previously investigated whether antiplatelet medications affect systemic inflammation, as this may contribute to their clinical benefit in-vivo. He has also performed several studies investigating the clinical relevance of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics of antiplatelet therapy in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Other activities

  • Chair of European Society of Cardiology Young Thrombosis Researchers Group 2014-2016
  • Co-investigator/sub-investigator for multinational cardiovascular clinical trials including PEGASUS-TIMI 54, ATLANTIC, ENGAGE-AF TIMI 48, THEMIS, CANTOS and ODYSSEY-OUTCOMES.
  • Principal Editor of Platelets journal 2016-
  • Member of the Working Group on Thrombosis of the European Society of Cardiology from 2013-

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Jooss, NJ, Smith, CW, Slater, A, Montague, SJ, Di, Y, O'shea, C, Thomas, MR, Henskens, YMC, Heemskerk, JWM, Watson, SP & Poulter, NS 2022, 'Anti-GPVI nanobody blocks collagen- and atherosclerotic plaque-induced GPVI clustering, signaling and thrombus formation', Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. https://doi.org/10.1111/jth.15836

Harbi, M, Smith, C, Alenazy, F, Nicolson, P, Tiwari, A, Watson, S & Thomas, MR 2022, 'Antithrombotic effects of fostamatinib in combination with conventional antiplatelet drugs', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 23, no. 13, 6982. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23136982

Brady, PF, Chua, W, Nehaj, F, Connolly, DL, Khashaba, A, Purmah, YJV, Ul-Qamar, MJ, Thomas, MR, Varma, C, Schnabel, RB, Zeller, T, Fabritz, L & Kirchhof, PF 2022, 'Interactions Between Atrial Fibrillation and Natriuretic Peptide in Predicting Heart Failure Hospitalization or Cardiovascular Death', Journal of the American Heart Association, vol. 11, no. 4, e022833. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.121.022833

Colicchia, M, Schrottmaier, WC, Perrella, G, Reyat, JS, Begum, J, Slater, A, Price, J, Clark, JC, Zhi, Z, Simpson, M, Bourne, J, Poulter, NS, Khan, AO, Nicolson, PLR, Pugh, MR, Harrison, P, Iqbal, AJ, Rainger, GE, Watson, SP, Thomas, MR, Mutch, NJ, Assinger, A & Rayes, J 2022, 'S100A8/A9 drives the formation of procoagulant platelets through GPIbα', Blood. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2021014966

Smith, C, Harbi, M, Garcia Quintanilla, L, Rookes, K, Brown, H, Poulter, N, Watson, S, Nicolson, P & Thomas, MR 2022, 'The Btk inhibitor AB-95-LH34 potently inhibits atherosclerotic plaque-induced thrombus formation and platelet procoagulant activity', Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. https://doi.org/10.1111/jth.15899

Cooper, NI, Altomare, I, Thomas, MR, Nicolson, P, Watson, S, Markovtsov, V, Todd, LK, Masuda, E & Bussel, JB 2021, 'Assessment of thrombotic risk during long-term treatment of immune thrombocytopenia with fostamatinib', Therapeutic Advances in Hematology, vol. 12, 20406207211010875. https://doi.org/10.1177/20406207211010875

Perrella, G, Huang, J, Provenzale, I, Swieringa, F, Heubel-Moenen, F, Farndale, RW, Roest, M, Van Der Meijden, P, Thomas, M, Ariëns, RAS, Jandrot-Perrus, M, Watson, S & Heemskerk, JWM 2021, 'Nonredundant roles of platelet glycoprotein VI and integrin αIIbβ3 in fibrin-mediated microthrombus formation', Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. e97–e111. https://doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA.120.314641

Harbi, M, Smith, C, Nicolson, P, Watson, S & Thomas, MR 2021, 'Novel antiplatelet strategies targeting GPVI, CLEC-2 and tyrosine kinases', Platelets, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 29-41. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537104.2020.1849600

Slater, A, Di, Y, Clark, J, Jooss, N, Martin, E, Alenazy, F, Thomas, MR, Ariëns, RAS, Herr, AB, Poulter, N, Emsley, J & Watson, S 2021, 'Structural characterisation of a novel GPVI nanobody-complex reveals a biologically active domain-swapped GPVI dimer', Blood, vol. 2021, no. 00, pp. 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2020009440

Nicolson, P, Welsh, J, Chauhan, A, Thomas, MR, Kahn, ML & Watson, S 2020, 'A rationale for blocking thromboinflammation in COVID-19 with Btk inhibitors', Platelets, vol. 31, no. 5, pp. 685-690. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537104.2020.1775189

Ow, KW, Parker, WAE, Porter, MM, Hanson, J, Judge, HM, Briffa, NP, Thomas, MR & Storey, RF 2020, 'Offset of ticagrelor prior to coronary artery bypass graft surgery for acute coronary syndromes: effects on platelet function and cellular adenosine uptake', Platelets. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537104.2019.1709631

Ubaid, S, Ford, TJ, Berry, C, Murray, HM, Wrigley, B, Khan, N, Thomas, MR, Armesilla, AL, Townend, JN, Khogali, SS, Munir, S, Martins, J, Hothi, SS, McAlindon, EJ & Cotton, JM 2019, 'Cangrelor versus Ticagrelor in Patients Treated with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Impact on Platelet Activity, Myocardial Microvascular Function and Infarct Size: A Randomized Controlled Trial', Thrombosis and Haemostasis, vol. 119, no. 7, pp. 1171-1181. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0039-1688789

Chua, WL, Purmah, Y, Roth Cardoso, V, Gkoutos, G, Tull, S, Neculau, G, Thomas, MR, Kotecha, D, Lip, G, Kirchhof, P & Fabritz, L 2019, 'Data-driven discovery and validation of circulating blood-based biomarkers associated with prevalent atrial fibrillation.', European Heart Journal, vol. 40, no. 16, pp. 1268-1276. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehy815

Editorial

Harrison, P, Lordkipanidzé, M, Andrew L. Frelinger, III, Thomas, MR & Watson, SP 2020, 'Platelet count and disease – editorial policy', Platelets, vol. 31, no. 8, pp. 969-970. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537104.2020.1802002

Review article

Thomas, MR & Nicolson, P 2021, 'Inhibiting novel mechanisms of thrombosis: next-generation antiplatelet therapy', Platelets, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 5-6. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537104.2020.1853422

View all publications in research portal