Platelets are blood cells that maintain the integrity of the vessel wall and respond to vascular damage. Although they were discovered in the mid-19th century, we are still largely ignorant about the molecular mechanisms that regulate their formation and function. The principal aim of our research is to identify and characterise these mechanisms. This fundamental science is applied to improve treatments for life-threatening diseases such as heart attack and stroke. Our research depends on molecular studies of blood cells and their progenitors, genome-wide association scans, rare disease genome sequencing studies, model organism research and clinical trials. We also study approaches for generating platelets from pluripotent stem cells in the laboratory with the aim of replacing classic donor-derived platelet concentrates and the aim of generating platelets with specific functional features.
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