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Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics

Professor Ben Simons

Career

  •  2018-date: Royal Society E.P. Abraham Professor, DAMPT, Cambridge
  • 2011-date: Herchel Smith Chair in Physics, Cavendish Laboratory,
  • Cambridge
  • 2002-2010: Personal Chair in the Theory of Condensed Matter, Cavendish Laboratory,
  • Cambridge
  • 2000-2002: University Readership in the Theory of Condensed Matter, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge
  • 1995-1999: Lecturer, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge
  • 1995-date: Fellow, St John’s College, Cambridge
  • 1994-1995: Royal Society Research Fellow and Lecturer, Imperial College, London
  • 1990-1991: Junior Research Fellow, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge

Research

Ben is a member the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics and the Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics. He also holds affiliated positions in the Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute and the Wellcome Trust/MRC Stem Cell Institute. His research interests have spanned a wide range of topics within the area of theoretical quantum condensed matter physics. However, his current interests are focussed on the application of modelling approaches to study the dynamics of biological systems, from subcellular processes, to cell fate decision-making and morphogenic processes. His research is supported by grants from EPSRC, the Wellcome Trust, CRUK and the Royal Society.

Selected Publications

  • S. Rulands, et al., Universality of clone dynamics during tissue development, Nature Physics 14, 469-474 (2018)
  • E. Hannezo, et al., A unifying theory of branching morphogenesis, Cell 171, 242-255 (2017)
  • X. Lan, et al., Cell fate mapping of human glioblastoma reveals an invariant stem cell hierarchy pre- and post-treatment, Nature 549, 227-232 (2017)
  • A. Sanchez-Danes, et al., Defining the clonal dynamics leading to tumor initiation, Nature 536, 298-303 (2016)
  • B. D. Simons and H. Clevers, Strategies of stem cell self-renewal in adult tissues, Cell 145, 851-862 (2011)
  • C. Lopez-Garcia, et al., Intestinal stem cell replacement follows a pattern of neutral drift, Science 330, 822-825 (2010)

Publications

Epigenetic inheritance of gene silencing is maintained by a self-tuning mechanism based on resource competition.
O Karin, EA Miska, BD Simons
– Cell systems
(2023)
14,
24
(doi: 10.1016/j.cels.2022.12.003)
Atypical cortical encoding of speech identifies children with Dyslexia versus Developmental Language Disorder
J Araújo, BD Simons, V Peter, K Mandke, M Kalashnikova, A Macfarlane, F Gabrielczyk, A Wilson, GM Di Liberto, D Burnham, U Goswami
(2022)
(doi: 10.1101/2022.10.26.513864)
A cellular hierarchy in melanoma uncouples growth and metastasis (vol 610, pg 190, 2022)
P Karras, I Bordeu, J Pozniak, A Nowosad, C Pazzi, N Van Raemdonck, E Landeloos, Y Van Herck, D Pedri, G Bervoets, S Makhzami, JH Khoo, B Pavie, J Lamote, O Marin-Bejar, M Dewaele, H Liang, X Zhang, Y Hua, J Wouters, R Browaeys, G Bergers, Y Saeys, F Bosisio, J van den Oord, D Lambrechts, AK Rustgi, O Bechter, C Blanpain, BD Simons, F Rambow, J-C Marine
– Nature
(2022)
611,
E4
(doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-05415-4)
A cellular hierarchy in melanoma uncouples growth and metastasis
P Karras, I Bordeu, J Pozniak, A Nowosad, C Pazzi, N Van Raemdonck, E Landeloos, Y Van Herck, D Pedri, G Bervoets, S Makhzami, JH Khoo, B Pavie, J Lamote, O Marin-Bejar, M Dewaele, H Liang, X Zhang, Y Hua, J Wouters, R Browaeys, G Bergers, Y Saeys, F Bosisio, J van den Oord, D Lambrechts, AK Rustgi, O Bechter, C Blanpain, BD Simons, F Rambow, J-C Marine
– Nature
(2022)
610,
190
(doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-05242-7)
Birth, cell fate and behavior of progenitors at the origin of the cardiac mitral valve
B Farhat, I Bordeu, B Jagla, H Blanc, K Loulier, B Simons, E Beaurepaire, J Livet, M Pucéat
(2022)
(doi: 10.1101/2022.08.06.503022)
Different niches for mutant stem cells affect pathogenesis and therapy response in myeloproliferative neoplasms
S Mendez-Ferrer, E Grockowiak, C Korn, J Rak, A Hallou, V Lysenko, F Panvini, C Fielding, M Williams, E Khatib-Massalha, Z Fang, A García-García, R Khorshed, S González-Antón, J Li, E Baxter, A Kusumbe, B Wilkins, A Green, B Simons, C Harrison, A Green, CL Celso, A Theocharides
(2022)
(doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1875241/v1)
A brain precursor atlas reveals the acquisition of developmental-like states in adult cerebral tumours.
AA Hamed, DJ Kunz, I El-Hamamy, QM Trinh, OD Subedar, LM Richards, W Foltz, G Bullivant, M Ware, MC Vladoiu, J Zhang, AM Raj, TJ Pugh, MD Taylor, SA Teichmann, LD Stein, BD Simons, PB Dirks
– Nat Commun
(2022)
13,
4178
(doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-31408-y)
Retrograde movements determine effective stem cell numbers in the intestine
M Azkanaz, B Corominas-Murtra, SIJ Ellenbroek, L Bruens, AT Webb, D Laskaris, KC Oost, SJA Lafirenze, K Annusver, HA Messal, S Iqbal, DJ Flanagan, DJ Huels, F Rojas-Rodríguez, M Vizoso, M Kasper, OJ Sansom, HJ Snippert, P Liberali, BD Simons, P Katajisto, E Hannezo, J van Rheenen
– Nature
(2022)
607,
548
(doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04962-0)
Epigenetic inheritance of gene-silencing is maintained by a self-tuning mechanism based on resource competition
O Karin, E Miska, B Simons
(2022)
(doi: 10.1101/2022.06.15.496123)
p57Kip2 imposes the reserve stem cell state of gastric chief cells
A Philpott, B Simons
– Cell Stem Cell
(2022)
29,
826
(doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2022.04.001)
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Research Group

Biological Physics and Mechanics

Email

bds10@damtp.cam.ac.uk

Room

H1.13

Telephone

01223 766833

Study at Cambridge

About the University

Research at Cambridge