Thrombosis Journal - Q&A with Prof. Rob Medcalf, PhD
Published in General & Internal Medicine
Thrombosis Journal is one of the oldest and most established Open-Access journals in the field of thrombosis, having published leading research for nearly 25 years.
The journal has seen a fantastic rise in visibility and submissions in recent years, leading to a strong improvement in our Impact Factor (2025 IF: 2.7). With the journal also set to comfortably exceed 1 million article downloads this year alone, we are excited to see Thrombosis Journal’s future unfold!
ISTH Conference (2026 - Paris, France)
Earlier this year, BMC, Thrombosis Journal’s Publisher, held a positive and engaged Editors Meeting at the 2026 ISTH Conference in (very sunny!) Paris, France.
It was an excellent opportunity for our Editors to come together and celebrate the journal’s long history, its recent achievements and future direction.
The ISTH conference was a superb backdrop to this meeting, with ~6000 attendees and many exciting announcements, including the launch of the Women’s Health Hub, drawing attention to a vitally important, yet poorly researched, topic in the field.
It is great to see more light being shed on this topic, with the World Thrombosis Day committee also choosing to highlight Women’s Health as their theme for 2026.
Excitingly, Thrombosis Journal also plans to highlight this vital area of research in a soon-to-launch Special Issue. We will be working with one of the biggest names in the field to launch this Collection of leading research publications. Her work in this area of research has been monumental in raising awareness of the issue and we’re really looking forward to bringing her onboard. Keep an eye out on the journal’s website for further announcements!
World Thrombosis Day 2026 - EiC Q&A
To commemorate World Thrombosis Day this year, Thrombosis Journal's co-Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Robert Medcalf, kindly agreed to join me for a Q&A about the journal, research field, conferences and more.
Please see our conversation below – special thanks to Rob for taking the time to talk with me!
What did you enjoy most about the ISTH Conference this year?
Rob: As I have been attending the ISTH congresses since 1985, one of the really enjoyable things is catching up with friends and colleagues that I have got to know over the many decades I have been in the field.
Of course, I am also interested to learn what’s new and exciting. The growing area of thromboinflammation interests me and this was the topic of one of the plenary lectures. Another related area is the influence of coagulation and fibrinolysis on infection and immunity. This was nicely covered in the state-of-the-art lectures on “Clotting and fibrinolysis in inflammation and disease”. I find these areas fascinating.
Thrombosis Journal is one of the oldest and most established journals in the field, nearing its 25th anniversary of publishing research.
You have led the journal as co-Editor-in-Chief for 6 years, and experienced the journal’s impressive rise in visibility and impact during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. What journal achievements have you been particularly proud of in your time leading the journal?
Rob: Since I started with the journal in 2020, the journal received ~130 submissions [that year]. By the end of 2024, there were 454 submissions, 671 submissions in 2025, while so far in 2026 there have been 561 up until the end of September. The journal is clearly growing in interest within the field with notable growth in the Asia Pacific area, mostly in China.
The COVID pandemic added significant interest to the field of thrombosis, yet the journal has continued to rise in interest since the end of the pandemic. I am certainly proud to see this rise in popularity of the journal within the field. There have been a lot of interesting articles, some with impressive publications, some now approaching close to 10,000 downloads.
Looking ahead, what are you excited to see over the next few years for the journal? Any research trends or future directions of the field that you are looking forward to seeing more publications on?
Rob: The journal has initiated some themed issues in recent months, for example one on pulmonary embolism currently under way and one on women’s maternal health that will appear in 2027. The theme leaders are really at the top in the field and I am very much looking forward to seeing how these go and the interest these papers will generate.
I am also keen for the journal to gain more traction in North America and Europe and the participation of Thrombosis Journal at major congresses is an important element in this regard. There will be further engagement of the journal with the combined meeting of the Thrombosis and Haemostasis Society of Australia and New Zealand (THANZ) and the congress of the Asia-Pacific Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (APSTH) that will take place in Adelaide, Australia in 2027. These are very positive developments and will certainly further raise the profile of the journal.
Do you have any current or upcoming research projects that you’re particularly excited about?
Rob: My own area of interest [is] in fibrinolysis and thrombolysis. I am very interested in seeing how these areas move over the next few years, including the development of new thrombolytic drugs together with adjunctive treatments that are currently being investigated.
Read more about Rob's research on fibrinolysis at Monash University here
World Thrombosis Day (WTD) is commemorated on October 13th each year, raising awareness of thrombosis-related conditions and sharing resources for students, researchers, clinicians and the general public to support treatment and improve understanding.
How do you & the journal plan to commemorate WTD this year?
Rob: WTD is heavily promoted within Australia by the Thrombosis and Haemostasis Society of Australia and New Zealand (THANZ). Thrombosis Journal will be aiming to [publish] its women’s health theme issue to coincide with WTD in 2027. This will help Thrombosis Journal to further increase its visibility in the field.
I have a background in STEM, having studied BSc Human Biology at Loughborough University (UK) followed by an MSc in Nutrition at Kings College London (UK).
I joined Springer Nature as a Publishing Assistant for the BioMed Central (BMC) Open Access Journals team in 2022, moving into an Associate Publisher role in 2023. I now manage a portfolio of biomedicine & life sciences journals as a Publisher.
Alongside working with editors and BMC teams to manage & grow my portfolio of journals, I co-run the Early Career Personal Development (ECPD) program for the BMC Academic Journal's team. I also work with Springer Nature's Disability & Neurodivergent (SN D&N) network to improve the working environment for staff who identify as disabled and/or neurodivergent, and contribute to Sustainable Development Goal-initiatives (particularly SDG 3) run by Springer Nature.
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Thrombosis Journal
This journal covers topics in the area of thrombosis research, such as new antithrombotic treatments, diagnosis of arterial and venous thrombosis, treatments of atherosclerotic vessel disease, relations between haemostasis and vascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, immunology and obesity.
Related Collections
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Advances in Pulmonary Embolism: Intervention, Anticoagulation, Multidisciplinary Teams, and Patient-reported Outcomes
Pulmonary embolism remains a leading cause of cardiovascular mortality worldwide, and recent years have witnessed significant advances in interventional techniques, anticoagulation strategies, and multidisciplinary care models. This collection aims to bring together high-quality original research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and expert perspectives that reflect the current state of the field and point toward future directions.
We invite submissions to this special issue focusing on the rapidly evolving landscape of pulmonary embolism (PE) diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management. Submissions may include, but not limited to, the following subtopics:
Interventional and Catheter-Based Strategies
· Catheter-directed thrombolysis: safety, efficacy, and patient selection
· Mechanical thrombectomy and aspiration techniques in acute PE
· High-risk PE management and haemodynamic support
· Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams (PERT): structure, outcomes, and global implementation
· Results from emerging interventional trials
Anticoagulation and Pharmacological Management
· Safety and efficacy of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) for venous thromboembolism
· Implications of recent trials on clinical practice
· Extended anticoagulation: balancing thrombotic and bleeding risk
· Special populations: elderly patients, cancer-associated PE, and pregnancy
Risk Stratification and Clinical Decision-Making
· Imaging and biochemical biomarkers in acute PE risk stratification
· Echocardiographic and CT-based prognostic tools
· Clinical scoring systems and their integration into PE pathways
· Artificial intelligence and machine learning in PE diagnosis and triage
Long-term Outcomes and Rehabilitation
· Post-PE syndrome: prevalence, diagnosis, and management
· Rehabilitation programs and exercise capacity after PE
· Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension as a PE sequela
· Patient-reported outcomes and quality of life following PE
· Inflammatory biomarkers and their prognostic role in PE recovery
All submissions in this collection undergo the journal’s standard peer review process. Similarly, all manuscripts authored by a Guest Editor(s) will be handled by the Editor-in-Chief. As an open access publication, this journal levies an article processing fee (details). We recognize that many key stakeholders may not have access to such resources and are committed to supporting participation in this issue wherever resources are a barrier. For more information about what support may be available, please visit OA funding and support, or email or the Editor-in-Chief.
Publishing Model: Open Access
Deadline: Apr 30, 2027
