Simon Baker
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drsimonbaker.bsky.social
Simon Baker
@drsimonbaker.bsky.social
250 followers 430 following 15 posts
Bladder cell biologist working with normal and cancer human tissue models for Kidney Research UK and @yorkagainstcancer.bsky.social. We study how bladder cancer is initiated by BK polyomavirus-induced APOBEC3 cytosine deaminases.
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drsimonbaker.bsky.social
Are you a kidney transplant recipient who would like to learn more about post-transplant viral infections?

Join @kidneyresearchuk.org funded researchers to hear updates on their research. This online seminar will take place 1-2pm on Friday 28th November 2025, register for free below.
Research webinar - Kidney Research UK
A webinar to hear directly from Kidney Research UK funded researchers as they share the latest updates on projects tackling BK virus and cytomegalovirus.
www.kidneyresearchuk.org
November 11, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Reposted by Simon Baker
clive-mckimmie.bsky.social
New PhD opportunity! Can skin inflammation protect us from mosquito-borne viruses like Zika?
Join our MRC PhD project at York exploring how psoriasis and eczema change skin immunity to virus.
Our grads thrive in academia, biotech & beyond.
Apply now 👉 tinyurl.com/bfmd2rf4
October 31, 2025 at 12:25 PM
drsimonbaker.bsky.social
I'm really excited to be teaching about mutational signatures and viral aetiologies in #bladdercancer at the "Course on Urothelial Malignancies" in Paris 14-16 January 2026. There are so many great speakers, I'm sure I'll learn lots. Hope to see you there!
Contact: c.uro2026@curie.fr
Poster for the 2nd Course on Urothelial Cancers on January 14th-16th 2026 at the Institut Curie in Paris. Theme: Understanding molecular basis of urothelial tumors to improve diagnosis and treatments. Contact: c.uro2026@curie.fr
October 16, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Reposted by Simon Baker
johnemilad.bsky.social
“Rare” kidney diseases leave a deep and widespread impact. 160,000+ people in the UK are affected — driving 25% of dialysis demand and costing the NHS £263m a year.
As a @kidneyresearchuk.org Trustee, I’m calling for faster diagnosis and fairer access to care.
🔗 bit.ly/47Wdp5Z

#KidneyHealth
Collectively common, rare kidney disease report - Kidney Research UK
A report about the impact of rare kidney diseases in the UK including diagnosis delays and waits for new treatments.
www.kidneyresearchuk.org
October 11, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Reposted by Simon Baker
clive-mckimmie.bsky.social
We all know vaccines target the pathogen, but can you also target the vector?
📢 in a new paper out today in Vaccines,
we show that a vaccine targeting mosquito salivary peptides, AGSv-PLUS, enhances human skin immune response to biting.
Open access: www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/13...
1/6
October 1, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Reposted by Simon Baker
llobrienlab.bsky.social
For this #FluorescenceFriday, a gorgeous image of an adult mouse kidney labeled with AQP2 and alpha SMA antibodies. AQP2 (green) marks the collecting duct and distal connecting segment while SMA marks the arterial tree. Courtesy of talented postdoc Sarah McLarnon.
Image of a fluorescently labeled adult mouse kidney showing AQP2 staining of collecting ducts and connecting segment in green and alpha SMA staining of the arterial tree in magenta. The collecting ducts look like squiggly branches.
September 26, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Reposted by Simon Baker
wyd20.bsky.social
Having a fantastic time listening to all the progress in kidney research in the UK @kidneyresearchuk.org driving discoveries. Fantastic talk @willkidney.bsky.social about how large well designed trials have changed our practice in nephrology
September 25, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Reposted by Simon Baker
quod-biobank.bsky.social
QUOD's National Operational Coordinator, Sarah Cross, is at the Kidney Research UK #DrivingDiscoveries conference today in Bristol and is ready to talk to you about how the QUOD biobank can support your kidney research.

Come and say hello! 👋

@nhsbt.bsky.social @ndsurgicalsci.bsky.social @ox.ac.uk
September 24, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Reposted by Simon Baker
crick.ac.uk
Congratulations to @gregfindlay.bsky.social on being awarded a €1.5 million Starting Grant from the @erc.europa.eu to take a closer look at possible disease variants hiding in the dark genome.

www.crick.ac.uk/news/2025-09...
€1.5 million to uncover disease risk hiding in non-coding DNA
Greg Findlay, Group Leader of the Genome Function Laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute, has been awarded a Starting Grant from the European Research Council for €1.5 million to take a deep dive i...
www.crick.ac.uk
September 4, 2025 at 2:03 PM
drsimonbaker.bsky.social
The Leeds Transplant teams are amazing humans. Great to see this celebration.
leedsth.nhs.uk Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust @leedsth.nhs.uk · Sep 2
We’re partnering with Thackray Museum of Medicine to shine a spotlight on organ donation and transplants on Thursday 25 September for #OrganDonationWeek!
Every year, over 300 people receive life-changing transplants at Leeds Hospitals.
Find out more and book here: www.facebook.com/events/66381...
September 3, 2025 at 6:14 AM
drsimonbaker.bsky.social
If you're a kidney transplant recipient who has been diagnosed with BK virus infection, please consider reading our evidence-based patient information leaflet that was co-developed alongside BK nephropathy patients. We hope it helps and welcome any feedback to develop it.
www.kidney.org.uk/bk-virus
BK Virus
What is BK Virus? BK virus is an infection almost everyone gets during childhood. The symptoms are like a mild cold, so most people don't notice when they catch it. After infection, the virus hides in...
www.kidney.org.uk
August 8, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Reposted by Simon Baker
danielhurdiss.bsky.social
"A highly potent human antibody neutralizing all serotypes of BK polyomavirus"

journals.plos.org/plospathogen...
A highly potent human antibody neutralizing all serotypes of BK polyomavirus
Author summary BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) is a common virus that infects most people during childhood and typically remains dormant in the kidneys without causing harm. However, in kidney transplant pati...
journals.plos.org
July 19, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Reposted by Simon Baker
andrewholding.bsky.social
YBRI (@ybri-uoy.bsky.social) are hosting @alanawelm.bsky.social for an online seminar on 9th May 2pm BST.

Prof Welm will be presenting her work on "Modeling metastatic breast cancer to advance therapeutic strategies".

Please share, and register to join at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ybri-onlin...
YBRI Online Biomedical Sciences Seminar 2025
Join our online biomedical sciences seminar open to UG, PG students, postdocs, ECRs and Group Leaders!
www.eventbrite.co.uk
April 24, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Reposted by Simon Baker
cancerresearchuk.org
🚨 Breaking News: The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has passed its Second Reading in @ukhouseoflords.bsky.social! 🚨

This marks another hugely important step towards ending cancers caused by smoking.

Please share to show your support for a #SmokefreeUK 🔁
April 24, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Reposted by Simon Baker
kidneyresearchuk.org
We’re #hiring! It’s an exciting time as we expand and create brand new roles within our passionate charity, committed to changing lives for people with kidney disease. Take a look and share with your network. Find out more and apply here: bit.ly/3umf9kS

#Recruitment #CharityJobs
[Image description: ‘We’re hiring’ sits bold on the page. Top right sits the Kidney Research UK logo. To the left, a full-length professional image of their logo from on outdoor event is present. To the right lists two jobs, brand and marketing officer and volunteering officer. Underneath it reads ‘As part of the charity’s growth, new positions have been introduced.’ And lists six more roles: Peer educator manager, health equalities lead, director of translational science and technology assessment, translational research and innovation project officer, health data specialist, and head of data.]
April 23, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Reposted by Simon Baker
jeffreytownsend.bsky.social
APOBEC drives genetic variation in lung tumors, especially in response to tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy 🧪.

Inhibition of APOBEC during use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors could improve outcomes.

In a paper just out in Lung Cancer, we show how much.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Precision projections of the delay of resistance mutations in non-small cell lung cancer via suppression of APOBEC
Genomic instability driven by stress-response-dependent mutagenesis is a key factor in cancer progression. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy, a common…
www.sciencedirect.com
March 23, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Reposted by Simon Baker
abcuk.bsky.social
Excited for the AJ Bell Great North Run 2025? There’s still time to join Team Action Bladder Cancer UK and run for a great cause! Whether you’re a seasoned runner or a first-timer, it’s an event you won’t want to miss. 🏅

events@actionbladdercanceruk.org

#GreatNorthRun #BladderCancer #Fundraising
March 10, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Reposted by Simon Baker
starrett.bsky.social
If anyone is looking for a lab technician/manager with nucleic acid isolation, library prep, and sequencing analysis experience preferably in the DMV, my former biologist is looking for a job. She was unfortunately terminated in Feb as part of the probationary employee firings. DM me for her info
March 9, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Reposted by Simon Baker
kidneyresearchuk.org
Did you know that blood in your urine or needing to urinate frequently are symptoms of kidney disease?

This #WorldKidneyDay, let’s help more people spot the early warning signs with our ‘Take a wee look’ campaign.

What do the colours mean? Find out more: www.kidneyresearchuk.org/2025/02/21/b...
Image of a urine hydration chart on a toilet seat with sections labelled 1 to 7 indicating various hydration levels from 'Drink more water' to 'Ideal Colour.' The chart advises 'Take a wee look.' to detect early signs of kidney disease
March 10, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Reposted by Simon Baker
uofytechs.bsky.social
#job 🚨for a laboratory technician in the Wright group within dept. Biology/HYMS and @ybri-uoy.bsky.social to work on creating genome-scale arrays of human cell surface receptors to discover new host-pathogen interactions. Apply by 20/3/2025: jobs.york.ac.uk/vacancy/labo...
Jobs - The University of York
jobs.york.ac.uk
March 5, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Reposted by Simon Baker
drnathjones.bsky.social
New preprint: results from a collaborative project funded by the GCRF Global Network for NTDs investigating Leishmania deubiquitinase 16 as a potential drug target. @ybri-uoy.bsky.social @mottramlab.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Structure and Activity of the Essential UCH Family Deubiquitinase DUB16 from Leishmania donovani
In Leishmania parasites, as for their hosts, the ubiquitin proteasome system is important for cell viability. As part of a systematic gene deletion study, it was discovered that four cysteine protease...
www.biorxiv.org
March 4, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Reposted by Simon Baker
julietalbot.bsky.social
As scientists we are often exposed to upsetting findings and we should not have to bury the feelings that our research elicit - I'm glad it's adressed openly here (and yes these results are bleak)
Scientists brought to tears by huge loss of U.S. butterflies | CBC News
Scientists calculated just how much U.S. butterfly populations have declined in the past 20 years. The results brought some scientists to tears, and have them warning about dire implications for other...
www.cbc.ca
March 7, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Reposted by Simon Baker
oh-henry.bsky.social
I've written a big feature piece for @cancerresearchuk.org's News site, about a cutting-edge new brain tumour trial they're supporting. It's aimed at the researcher community so a bit techier than usual, but was great fun pulling together. news.cancerresearchuk.org/2025/03/04/a...
Accelerating the search for new glioblastoma treatments - Cancer Research UK - Cancer News
Henry Scowcroft looks at a pioneering new clinical platform trial set to offer more options to UK glioblastoma patients and kick-start progress
news.cancerresearchuk.org
March 5, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Reposted by Simon Baker
pwhickey.bsky.social
The HPV vaccine is an anti-cancer vaccine
February 28, 2025 at 3:34 AM
Reposted by Simon Baker
nytimes.com
The Trump administration terminates funding for polio, HIV, malaria and nutrition programs around the world.

“People will die,” said Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi of the African Population and Health Research Center, “but we will never know, because even the programs to count the dead are cut.”
U.S. Terminates Funding for Polio, H.I.V., Malaria and Nutrition Programs Around the World
Here are some of the 5,800 contracts the Trump administration formally canceled this week in a wave of terse emails.
www.nytimes.com
February 28, 2025 at 3:30 AM