Rate My Professor Alastair Poole

Professor Alastair Poole serves as Professor of Pharmacology and Cell Biology in the Bristol Medical School at the University of Bristol. He earned his Vet.M.B., M.A., and Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge (Cantab.) and holds membership in the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (M.R.C.V.S.). His research centers on the cell biology of platelets, spanning molecular to systems levels, with a focus on how protein kinases regulate platelet function and thrombus formation. Utilizing techniques such as advanced imaging, genetic mouse models, and biochemical assays, his laboratory explores mechanisms of platelet activation, granule secretion, procoagulant membrane dynamics, and interactions in thrombosis and haemostasis.

Professor Poole's career at the University of Bristol has advanced understanding in cardiovascular cell signaling and platelet biology. He received a renewal of a British Heart Foundation programme grant in 2010 for his work on platelet signaling. His prolific output includes over 87 peer-reviewed articles. Highly influential publications encompass 'Platelet secretion: From haemostasis to wound healing and beyond' (Blood Reviews, 2015), cited over 1,300 times; 'Procoagulant platelets: generation, function, and therapeutic targeting in thrombosis' (Blood, 2017); 'Diverse functions of protein kinase C isoforms in platelet activation and thrombus formation' (Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 2010); 'PKCα regulates platelet granule secretion and thrombus formation in mice' (Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2009); and 'Critical role for platelet Ral GTPases in regulating venous thrombosis in mice' (Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 2024). Recent contributions include studies on macrophage CSF2RA in cardiac ischaemic injury (Cells, 2026) and CSF2RA signaling in cardiac remodelling (Scientific Reports, 2026). Affiliated with the Bristol Heart Institute steering group and Dynamic Cell Biology, he contributes to British Heart Foundation-funded PhD programmes and translational cardiovascular research.