- B407, Portland Square, Drake Circus
- +44 1752 584625
- simon.fox@plymouth.ac.uk
Profiles
Dr Simon Fox
Associate Head of School
School of Biomedical Sciences (Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry)
Role
Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) in Molecular Pathology
Associate Head of Teaching and Learning
Senior Personal Tutor
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
Teaching interests
BHCS002 Current Developments in Human Biology and Biomedical Sciences
BHCS1001 Biomedical Investigation and Experimentation
BHCS1001 Biomedical Investigation and Experimentation
BHCS1011 Study Skills and Personal Development
BHCS2001 Biology of Disease
BHCS2002 Evidence Based Practice in Biomedical Science
BHCS3002 Molecular and Cellular Pathology
BHCS2002 Evidence Based Practice in Biomedical Science
BHCS2027 Placements and Employability
BHCS3002 Molecular and Cellular Pathology
BHCS3007 Current Issues in Neurobiology
BHCS3030 Biomedical Science: Placements
BHCS3031 Placements and Employability
BHCS5009 Cancer Biology and Therapeutics
BHCS5009 Cancer Biology and Therapeutics
I also teach molecular and cellular biology on numerous other modules across the faculty and deliver student selected units on 'cancer and bone' to first and second year medical students
Staff serving as external examiners
External examiner for BSc and MSc Applied Biosciences at the University of the West of Scotland 2011-2015
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, the impact of oxygen and pressure on bone cell function 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.
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
PEARL
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 ofMycobacterium tuberculosishave distinct effects on monocyte differentiation into osteoclasts'
Cellular Microbiology
10,
(10)
2091-2104
, DOI
2008
'Transforming growth factor-β enables NFATc1 expression during osteoclastogenesis'
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
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
PEARL
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
'TGF-beta-induced SOCS3 expression augments TNF-alpha-induced osteoclast formation'
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
309,
(4)
762-767
, DOI
2003
'The Possible Role of TGF-β-Induced Suppressors of Cytokine Signaling Expression in Osteoclast/Macrophage Lineage Commitment In Vitro'
The Journal of Immunology
170 (7),
3679-3687
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
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