- B407, Portland Square, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA
- +44 1752 584625
- simon.fox@plymouth.ac.uk
Profiles
Dr Simon Fox
Associate Head of School
School of Biomedical Sciences (Faculty of Health)
Biography
Biography
- Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) in Molecular Pathology
- Senior UG Personal Tutor
- Non-NHS Placements Coordinator
Qualifications
- Ph.D. (1998) Cellular Biology; University of London
- B.Sc. (Hons) (1992) Anatomical Science; University of Bristol
- PG.Cert (2005) Learning and teaching in higher education.
Professional membership
- Fellow of AdvanceHE
Roles on external bodies
- Executive Committee member of the Heads of University Centres of Biomedical Sciences (HUCBMS)
Teaching
Teaching
Teaching interests
BHCS1001 Biomedical Investigation and Experimentation
BHCS1011 Study Skills and Personal Development
BHCS3002 Molecular and Cellular Pathology
BHCS5009 Cancer Biology and Therapeutics
BHCS2027 Placements and Employability
BHCS3002 Molecular and Cellular Pathology
BHCS3030 Biomedical Science: Placements
BHCS3031 Personal Development and Employability
BHCS5009 Cancer Biology and Therapeutics
I teach learning skills and molecular & cellular biology on numerous modules across the faculty.
Staff serving as external examiners
External examiner for BSc and MSc Applied Biosciences at the University of the West of Scotland 2011-2015
I have examined PhDs thesis for the National Centre for Cell Science Pune University India, St George's Hospital Medical School University of London, University College London, University of Oxford and the University of Plymouth.
Research
Research
Research interests
My field of expertise lies in Bone Biology and the Cellular and Molecular techniques for assessing skeletal turnover. My current areas of research are focused on understanding the effect of nutritional factors on bone cell differentiation and activity and the mechanisms governing preferential metastasis of cancer cells to the skeleton.
Research degrees awarded to supervised students
- (University of London) Alison Lovibond 2005, PhD
- (Plymouth University) Matthew Owens 2011, PhD
- (Plymouth University) Sahar Karieb 2012, PhD
- (Plymouth University) Hadil Al Hadi 2013, PhD
- (University of Plymouth) Safaa Salaman Mezban Al-Thamiree 2019, PhD
Grants & contracts
Arthritis Research Campaign: (September 2002-August 2005, £ 104,834) Fox SW and Chambers TJ. To test the role of TGF-beta signalling pathways and SOCS expression in osteoclast/macrophage lineage commitment. (Ref F0558).
Wellcome Trust: (Awarded August 2005 for 36 months, £ 136,360) Fox SW. Analysis of the signalling mechanism by which TGF-beta determines osteoclast/macrophage lineage-switching.
Diving Diseases Research Centre: (Awarded October 2009 for 36 months, £10,500) Fox SW. Effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on osteoclast differentiation.
Seal Hayne Trust: (Awarded June 2009 for 6 months £4,750) Owens M, Davies S and Fox SW. Molecular analysis of telost bone remodelling.
Publications
Publications
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Articles
(2016) 'Supplementation of formulated diets for tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with selected exogenous enzymes: Overall performance and effects on intestinal histology and microbiota' Animal Feed Science and Technology 215, 133-143 Publisher Site , DOI Open access
(2015) 'Hyperbaric oxygen therapy accelerates osteoblast differentiation and promotes bone formation' Journal of Dentistry 43, 382-388 , DOI
(2014) 'Osteoclastic resorptive capacity is suppressed in patients receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy' Acta Orthopaedica 86, (2) 264-269 , DOI
(2013) 'Hyperbaric oxygen therapy suppresses osteoclast formation and bone resorption' J Orthop Res 31, (11) 1839-1844 , DOI
(2013) 'Suppression of T cell-induced osteoclast formation' BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 436, (4) 619-624 , DOI
(2012) 'Zinc modifies the effect of phyto-oestrogens on osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation in vitro' Br J Nutr 108, (10) 1736-1745 , DOI
(2012) 'Increased water current induces micro-architectural changes to the vertebral bone of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)' AQUACULTURE 344, 141-146 , DOI
(2011) 'Corn-expressed dietary phytase augments vertebral and scale mineral content in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)' AQUACULTURE NUTRITION 17, (4) E840-E852 , DOI
(2011) 'Phytoestrogens directly inhibit TNF-α-induced bone resorption in RAW264.7 cells by suppressing c-fos-induced NFATc1 expression' J Cell Biochem 112, (2) 476-487 , DOI
(2008) 'The two homologous chaperonin 60 proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis have distinct effects on monocyte differentiation into osteoclasts' CELLULAR MICROBIOLOGY 10, (10) 2091-2104 , DOI
(2008) 'Transforming growth factor-beta enables NFATc1 expression during osteoclastogenesis' Biochem Biophys Res Commun 366, (1) 123-128 , DOI
(2007) 'Interleukin-10 inhibits osteoclastogenesis by reducing NFATc1 expression and preventing its translocation to the nucleus' BMC Cell Biol 8, , DOI Open access
(2007) 'Interleukin-10 inhibits osteoclastogenesis by reducing NFATcI expression and preventing its translocation to the nucleus' BMC Cell Biology 8, (4)
(2006) 'Ovariectomy and oestrogen replacement have no effect on megakaryocyte or platelet number' International Journal of Cardiology 109, 359-366 , DOI
(2006) 'The effect of oestrogen on megakaryocyte differentiation and platelet counts in vivo' International Journal of Cardiology 109, (3) 359-366
(2005) 'Current insights into the role of transforming growth factor-beta in bone resorption' Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology 243, (1-2) 19-26
(2003) 'A longitudinal study of the effect of subcutaneous estrogen replacement on bone in young women with Turner's syndrome' Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 18, (5) 925-932 , DOI
(2003) 'The possible role of TGF-beta-induced suppressors of cytokine signaling expression in osteoclast/macrophage lineage commitment in vitro' Journal of Immunology 170, (7) 3679-3687
(2003) 'TGF-beta-induced SOCS3 expression augments TNF-alpha-induced osteoclast formation' Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 309, (4) 762-767 , DOI
(2002) 'TNFα Potently Activates Osteoclasts, through a Direct Action Independent of and Strongly Synergistic with RANKL' Endrocrinology 143 (3), 1108-1118 , DOI
(2001) 'Anabolic effect of estrogen replacement on bone in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis: Histomorphometric evidence in a longitudinal study' Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 86, 289-295
(2000) 'Osteoclast lineage commitment of bone marrow precursors through expression of membrane-bound TRANCE' Bone 27, (1) 29-40 , DOI
(2000) 'Activation of osteoclasts by interleukin-1: divergent responsiveness in osteoclasts formed in-vivo and in-vitro' Journal of Cellular Physiology 184, 334-340 , DOI
(2000) 'Interferon-gamma directly inhibits TRANCE-induced osteoclastogenesis' Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 276, 868-872
(2000) 'TGF-beta and IFN-gamma direct macrophage activation by TNF-alpha to osteoclastic or cytocidal phenotype' Journal of Immunology 165, 4957-4963
(1999) 'Early effects of hormone replacement therapy on bone' Bone 24, 245-248
(1998) 'Mechanical loading stimulates bone formation by reactivation of bone lining cells in 13-week-old rats' Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 13, 1760-1767
(1998) 'Nitric oxide synthase expression in bone cells' Bone 23, 1-6
(1998) 'Role for parathyroid hormone in mechanical responsiveness of rat bone' American Journal of Physiology 274, E146-E154
(1998) 'Role of nitric oxide and prostaglandins in mechanically-induced bone formation' Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 1039-1044
(1998) 'TRANCE is necessary and sufficient for osteoblast-mediated activation of bone resorption in osteoclasts' Journal of Experimental Medicine 188, 997-1001 , DOI
(1997) 'Nitric oxide is an early mediator of the increase in bone formation by mechanical stimulation' American Journal of Physiology 270, E955-E960
(1997) 'The role of prostaglandins and nitric oxide in the response of bone to mechanical stimulation' Advances in Experimental Medical Biology 43, 295-298 , DOI
Conference Papers
(2011) 'The effect of phytoestrogens, zinc and vitamin K on osteoblastic differentiation and activity in-vitro' S120-S120 , DOI
(2005) 'Transforming growth factor-beta-induced changes in gene expression in murine bone marrow macrophage precursors' 1302-1302
(2004) 'Determining the time-point when TGF-beta acts to promote lineage diversion towards the osteoclastic phenotype' S136-S136
(2004) 'Effect of transforming growth factor-beta on osteoclast precursor NFATc1 and c-fos expression' 1040-1040
(2003) 'TGF-beta-induced SOCS3 expression augments TNF-alpha-induced osteoclast formation' 1367-1367
(2003) 'Interleukin-10 directly inhibits RANKL-induced osteoclast formation from mononuclear phagocyte precursors' 1369-1369
(2002) 'Possible role for TGF-beta-induced SOCS expression in osteoclast/macrophage lineage commitment in-vitro' S200-S200
(2002) 'Possible role for TGF-beta-induced SOCS expression in osteoclast/macrophage lineage commitment in-vitro' 1328-1328
(2001) 'Flt3 ligand can substitute for M-CSF in support of osteoclast differentiation and function' S161-S161
(2001) 'Osteoclast regulation by TNF-alpha occurs through distinct mechanisms in vitro versus in vivo' S377-S377
(2000) 'Effect of estrogen replacement on bone in young women with primary ovarian failure' S229-S229
(2000) 'Transforming growth factor-beta osteoclast induction by tumour factor-alpha' 1215-1215
(2000) 'TGF beta is necessary for osteoclast formation' 824-824
(1999) 'Generation and characterization of osteoclast cell lines' S484-S484
(1999) 'Parathyroid hormone sensitizes bone cells to mechanical stimulation via the cyclic AMP pathway' S395-S395
(1999) 'TGFb maintains sensitivity of precursors to osteoclast-induction, and synergises with TRANCE in osteoclast lineage commitment and survival' S426-S426
(1998) 'Anabolic effect of oestrogen: Histological evidence in a longitudinal follow-up study of women with established osteoporosis' 1503-1503
(1997) 'A role for parathyroid hormone in the mechanical responsiveness of rat bone' P21-P21
(1997) 'The role of nitric oxide and prostaglandins in mechanically-induced bone formation' P12-P12
(1997) 'A role for parathyroid hormone in the mechanical responsiveness of rat bone' F362-F362
(1997) 'Mechanical loading stimulates bone formation by activation of bone lining cells' 35-35
(1997) 'The role of nitric oxide and prostaglandins in mechanically-induced bone formation' T354-T354
(1996) 'Parathyroid hormone sensitises bone cells in their response to mechanical stimulation' P33-P33
(1996) 'Immunolocalization of nitric oxide synthase in bone cells' M354-M354
(1996) 'Longterm dexamethasone reduces bone turnover and bone density in sheep' S505-S505
(1996) 'Parathyroid hormone augments the osteocytic response to mechanical stimulation, and potentiates mechanically-induced bone formation' T457-T457
(1995) 'NITRIC-OXIDE IS AN EARLY MEDIATOR OF THE INDUCTION OF BONE-FORMATION BY MECHANICAL STIMULATION' S204-S204
Personal
Personal
Conferences organised
Member of the organising committee for the Heads of University Centres of Biomedical Science Annual Conference 2021