I’m happy to announce that I have been awarded a five-year senior fellowship jointly funded by two amazing charities: @kidneyresearchuk.org and @yorkagainstcancer.bsky.social. This new fellowship also comes with a permanent academic job @biologyatyork.bsky.social and @ybri-uoy.bsky.social.

Somatic genomics as a discovery engine for biomedicine - a Perspective in Cell www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Somatic genomics as a discovery engine for biomedicine

Somatic mutations, or genetic changes occurring in cells after conception, are widespread in healthy tissues but are conventionally viewed as signs of…

sciencedirect.com

Researchers at the Jack Birch Unit @biologyatyork.bsky.social @ybri-uoy.bsky.social revealed how direct communication between cells can help maintain healthy tissue, potentially paving the way for new bladder cancer treatments 🔬 Open access paper in Life Science Alliance doi.org/10.26508/lsa... 🔓 📄

Cells that communicate may help hinder bladder cancer from spreading

Researchers at University of York’s Jack Birch Unit have revealed how direct communication between cells can help maintain healthy human tissue - potentially paving the way for new treatments for blad...

york.ac.uk

Pleased to see Jenny’s first author work on Connexin communication in the urothelium published. It’s a great story.

Life Science Alliance@lsajournal.org · 6mo ago

Hinley et al.: Connexin 32 sustains urothelial quiescence and limits TGFβ-driven remodelling, revealing a luminal MIBC split. @biologyatyork.bsky.social @ybri-uoy.bsky.social @jennybaker.bsky.social @drsimonbaker.bsky.social @asmasonomics.bsky.social www.life-science-alliance.org/content/9/5/...

For World Cancer Day, we're shining a spotlight on Dr Simon Baker and his team at the University of York, and their research into BK virus and bladder cancer. Read more the research here: https://bit.ly/4pjXEvr

New results suggest that bladder cancer could be caused by the body’s response to common childhood virus - Kidney Research UK

New data from Dr Simon Baker suggests BK virus can drive bladder cancer development, which kidney transplant recipients are at more risk of.

bit.ly

I chatted with @philiprlang.bsky.social on his podcast about how a virus might be involved in bladder cancer. Since "Phil Lang is Not a Scientist", we made this really accessible. If you're interested in how small sneaky DNA viruses might contribute to the origins of cancers, give it a listen.

I had a lovely chat with Phil Lang on his podcast "Phil Lang is Not a Scientist" where I talk a lot about dreams and sleep! Phil interviews researchers from across the University of York about their work in all sorts of fascinating areas. (creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/...).

Another virus which causes ‘just a cold’ or ‘cold like symptoms’ is actually causing cancer. Tip of the iceberg?

Simon Baker@drsimonbaker.bsky.social · 8mo ago

What causes bladder cancer initiating mutations? Our paper in Science Advances asks the question: can BK virus infections of normal urothelium lead to the APOBEC3 mutational signatures found in bladder cancers? We found that they can!

What causes bladder cancer initiating mutations? Our paper in Science Advances asks the question: can BK virus infections of normal urothelium lead to the APOBEC3 mutational signatures found in bladder cancers? We found that they can!

Virus-induced APOBEC3 transmutagenesis in bladder cancer initiation

A model for hit-and-run viral carcinogenesis in the bladder.

science.org

Australia recorded ZERO cases of cervical cancer in women under 25 for the first time since they started tracking the cancer in the 80s. This is the power of vaccines. The HPV vaccine is extremely effective at preventing cancer. Viruses can be oncogenic. Get your vaccines and protect yourself!

newsGP - Australia set for world-first cervical cancer elimination

Vaccination programs have played a key role, and GPs remain ‘instrumental’ in boosting screening rates to reach the 2035 target.

www1.racgp.org.au

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.

kidneyresearchuk.org

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

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

“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.

kidneyresearchuk.org

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

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.

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

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

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...

crick.ac.uk

The Leeds Transplant teams are amazing humans. Great to see this celebration.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust@leedsth.nhs.uk · 11mo ago

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...

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

"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

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!

eventbrite.co.uk

🚨 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 🔁

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

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…

sciencedirect.com

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

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

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...

#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...