Dr Alan Harper
Alan’s research interest focus on the molecular and cellular events that underlie human blood clotting, and how these become dysfunctional in acute cardiovascular disease. Through this Alan expects to be able to offer new methods to screen and develop drugs to help improve outcomes in people experiencing heart attacks and strokes.
Alan’s current projects includes the use of magnetic nanoparticles targeted to activated platelets to improve the efficacy of clot-busting drugs, the role of the open canalicular system and membrane complex in controlling calcium signalling in human platelets, and the use of artificial tissue-engineered arteries as a replacement for animal thrombosis models in he study of clotting responses to both vascular injury and atherosclerotic plaque disruption.