Simon is an Anniversary Research Fellow in the Department of Applied Sciences. Simon completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Bristol before moving to Liverpool where he obtained a Masters in Human Immunity at the University of Liverpool and a PhD in Tropical Medicine from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine His PhD studies were supervised by Dr Tom Blanchard and focused on the design of HIV vaccines capable of eliciting neutralising antibodies to HIV-1. Simon returned to Newcastle University for his postdoctoral research and worked in the laboratory of Professors Geoffrey Toms and Margaret Bassendine, and Dr Dermot Neely. His research focused on the association of hepatitis C virus (HCV) with very- and low-density lipoproteins (VLDL/LDL) in the blood of infected patients and to examine the metabolic factors which influence this. This work culminated in a clinical trial investigating whether statins and n3 fatty acids reduced viral loads and the quantity of virus associated with LDL.

Apolipoprotein-E and hepatitis C lipoviral particles in genotype 1 infection: evidence for an association with interferon sensitivity. Sheridan DA, Bridge SH, Felmlee DJ, Crossey MM, Thomas HC, Taylor-Robinson SD, Toms GL, Neely RD, Bassendine MF. J Hepatol. 2012 Jul;57(1):32-8. PMID: 22414761 Heterologous prime-boost-boost immunisation of Chinese cynomolgus macaques using DNA and recombinant poxvirus vectors expressing HIV-1 virus-like particles. Bridge SH,Sharpe SA, Dennis MJ, Dowall SD, Getty B, Anson DS, Skinner MA, Stewart JP, Blanchard TJ. Virol J. 2011 Sep 7;8:429. PMID: 21899739 HCV and the hepatic lipid pathway as a potential treatment target. Bassendine MF, Sheridan DA, Felmlee DJ, Bridge SH, Toms GL, Neely RD. J Hepatol. 2011 Dec;55(6):1428-40. Review. PMID: 21718665 Insulin resistance and low-density apolipoprotein B-associated lipoviral particles in hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection. Bridge SH, Sheridan DA, Felmlee DJ, Nielsen SU, Thomas HC, Taylor-Robinson SD, Neely RD, Toms GL, Bassendine MF. Gut. 2011 May;60(5):680-7. PMID: 20940286 Intravascular transfer contributes to postprandial increase in numbers of very-low-density hepatitis C virus particles. Felmlee DJ, Sheridan DA, Bridge SH, Nielsen SU, Milne RW, Packard CJ, Caslake MJ, McLauchlan J, Toms GL, Neely RD, Bassendine MF. Gastroenterology. 2010 Nov;139(5):1774-83. PMID:20682323