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
View my research portal
Address
Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences
College of Medical and Dental Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Mark Thomas is an NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Cardiovascular Medicine working at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham and UHB and SWBH NHS Trusts. 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. He also has interests in Big Data and using precision medicine strategies in patients with cardiovascular 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

Recent publications

Article

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

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

Thomas, MR, James, SK, Becker, RC, Himmelmann, A, Katus, HA, Cannon, CP, Steg, PG, Siegbahn, A, Lakic, T, Storey, RF & Wallentin, L 2019, 'Prognostic impact of baseline inflammatory markers in patients with acute coronary syndromes treated with ticagrelor and clopidogrel', European Heart Journal: Acute Cardiovascular Care, pp. 2048872619878075. https://doi.org/10.1177/2048872619878075

Beristain-Covarrubias, N, Perez-Toledo, M, Flores-langarica, A, Zuidscherwoude, M, Hitchcock, J, Channell, W, King, LDW, Thomas, MR, Henderson, I, Rayes, J, Watson, S & Cunningham, A 2019, 'Salmonella-induced thrombi in mice develop asynchronously in the spleen and liver and are not effective bacterial traps', Blood, vol. 133, no. 6, pp. 600–604. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2018-08-867267

Chapter

Haining, EJ, Nicolson, PLR, Onselaer, MB, Poulter, NS, Rayes, J, Thomas, MR & Watson, SP 2019, GPVI and CLEC-2. in Platelets. Elsevier Masson, pp. 213-226. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-813456-6.00011-4

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

Beristain-Covarrubias, N, Perez-Toledo, M, Thomas, MR, Henderson, IR, Watson, SP & Cunningham, AF 2019, 'Understanding Infection-Induced Thrombosis: Lessons Learned From Animal Models', Frontiers in immunology, vol. 10, 2569. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.02569

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