Dr Mark Thomas BMedSci, BMBS, MRCP, PhD

Dr Mark Thomas

Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences
NIHR Clinical Lecturer

Contact details

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

Mark Thomas is an Academic Clinical Lecturer working at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences (University of Birmingham) and City Hospital (Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust). The main focus of Mark’s research is platelet biology and antiplatelet pharmacology. In particular, he is interested in translational research aimed at developing novel antiplatelet strategies for patients with coronary artery disease. 

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

Mark Thomas completed his medical training at the University of Nottingham. He was awarded the AZ Research and Development prize for his BMedSci research project, which investigated the pharmacology of platelet ADP receptors. During his Academic Foundation Programme and Core Medical Training, he investigated the clinical relevance of assessment of the pharmacodynamic effect of antiplatelet medications. He was 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 this work.

Mark was subsequently awarded an MRC Clinical Research Training Fellowship to investigate the effect of antiplatelet medications on systemic inflammation and obtained his PhD at the University of Sheffield in 2016. In addition to his translational research interests, Mark also has an interest in the use of big data in both basic and clinical research and has completed a Specialization certificate in Data Science by Johns Hopkins University (Coursera online platform). Mark is currently an Academic Clinical Lecturer at the University of Birmingham, where he spends part of his time undertaking research and part of his time as a Specialty Training Registrar in Cardiology at City Hospital, Birmingham.

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

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

Thomas MR, Angiolillo DJ, Bonaca MP, Ajjan RA, Judge HM, Rollini F, Franchi F, Ahsan AJ, Bhatt DL, Kuder JF, Steg PG, Cohen M, Muthusamy R, Sabatine MS and Storey RF. Consistent platelet inhibition with ticagrelor 60 mg twice-daily following myocardial infarction regardless of diabetes status. Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 2017; in press.

Gwyn JCV, Thomas MR and Kirchhof P. Triple Antithrombotic Therapy in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A viewpoint. European Heart Journal Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy, 2017; in press.

Thomas MR and Lip GYH. Novel risk markers and risk assessments for cardiovascular disease. Circulation Research, 2016; 120:133-149.

Thomas MR and Storey RF. Clinical significance of residual platelet reactivity in patients treated with P2Y12 inhibitors. Vascular Pharmacology, 2016; 84: 25-27.

Thomas MR,Morton AC, Hossain R, Chen B, Luo L, Shahari N, Hua P, Beniston RG, Judge HM and Storey RF (2016) Morphine delays the onset of action of prasugrel in patients with prior history of ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 2016; 116: 96-102.

Storey RF, Angiolillo DJ, Bonaca MP, Thomas MR, Judge HM, Rollini F, Franchi F, Ahsan AJ, Bhatt DL, Kuder JF, Steg PG, Cohen M, Muthusamy R, Braunwald E and Sabatine MS. Platelet inhibition with ticagrelor 60 mg compared with 90 mg twice-daily in the PEGASUS-TIMI 54 study. Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2016; 67:1145-54.

Thomas MR, Outteridge SN, Ajjan RA, Phoenix F, Sangha GK, Faulkner RE, Ecob R, Judge HM, Khan H, West LE, Dockrell DH, Sabroe I and Storey RF. Platelet P2Y12 inhibitors reduce systemic inflammation and its prothrombotic effects in an experimental human model. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology 2015; 35:2562-70.

Thomas MR and Storey RF. The role of platelets in inflammation. Thrombosis and Haemostasis 114: 449-58.

Grove EL, Wurtz M, Thomas MR and Kristensen D. Current antiplatelet therapy in acute coronary syndromes. Expert Opinion in Pharmacotherapy 2015; 16: 2133-47.

Thomas MR and Storey RF. Effect of P2Y12 inhibitors on inflammation and immunity. Thrombosis and Haemostasis 2015; 114: 490-7.