Dr Mirre Simons

School of Biosciences

Sir Henry Dale Senior Fellow

Profile photo of Mirre Simons
Profile picture of Profile photo of Mirre Simons
m.simons@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 0111

Full contact details

Dr Mirre Simons
School of Biosciences
B89
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
91Ö±²¥
S10 2TN
Profile
  • Sir Henry Dale Fellowship, Wellcome & Royal Society (2019-2025)
  • Vice-Chancellor's Fellowship, Animal and Plant Sciences, 91Ö±²¥ (2015-2019)
  • Sir Henry Wellcome Fellowship (2015-2019)
  • Postdoctoral researcher (NERC-funded), Animal and Plant Sciences, University of 91Ö±²¥ (2013-2015)
  • PhD, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (cum laude, 2013)
  • MSc Research, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (cum laude, 2008)
Research interests

Taking an evolutionary perspective I work on the adaptive value of differences in ageing between and within species to reveal fundamental aspects of the aging process. In this context I have worked on trade-offs concerning reproductive effort and sexual signalling. To increase reproductive effort, I used various experimental manipulations in three-spined stickleback.

I also studied senescence and sexual signaling of bill coloration in zebra finches. Both during my PhD at the University of Groningen (The Netherlands). Moreover I have conducted several meta-analyses concerning the biology of ageing and sexual signaling (see my publications list). For my postdoctoral work at the University of 91Ö±²¥ (UK), Molecular Ecology, I have studied senescence and telomere biology in an insular island population of wild house sparrows.

The current focus of my lab group is on the mechanisms of ageing and modulation by diet. We study demographic ageing, molecular mechanisms of dietary restriction and age-related disease (dementia and cancer). To do this we use the fruit fly, a functional genetics powerhouse. We use a combination of transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics to identify candidate mechanisms. Please refer to our lab web pages for more information and/or contact me. There are always opportunities to collaborate or come work in my lab.

I focus on the following topics:

  • Demography of mortality
  • Dietary restriction
  • Costs of reproduction and the evolution of ageing
  • Biology of cancer and cellular senescence
  • Telomere length and dynamics
Publications

Journal articles

  • Phillips EJ & Simons MJP (2024) . Functional Ecology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Drake ED & Simons MJP (2023) . Aging Biology, 1(1), 1-6. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simons MJP & Dobson AJ (2023) . Ageing Research Reviews, 87, 101926-101926. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Phillips EJ & Simons MJP (2023) . GeroScience, 45(2), 1263-1270. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Bennett S, Girndt A, Sánchez-Tójar A, Burke T, Simons M & Schroeder J (2022) . Frontiers in Genetics, 13. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Gautrey SL & Simons MJP (2022) . Journals of Gerontology, Series A, 77(11), 2181-2185. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simons MJP, Sebire M, Verhulst S & Groothuis TGG (2021) . Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 9. RIS download Bibtex download
  • McCracken AW, Buckle E & Simons MJP (2020) . The Journal of Experimental Biology, 223(23). RIS download Bibtex download
  • van Lieshout SHJ, Froy H, Schroeder J, Burke T, Simons MJP & Dugdale HL (2020) . Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 11(3), 418-430. RIS download Bibtex download
  • McCracken AW, Adams G, Hartshorne L, Tatar M & Simons MJP (2020) . Science Advances, 6(8). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kinsella CM, Ruiz-Ruano FJ, Dion-Côté A-M, Charles AJ, Gossmann TI, Cabrero J, Kappei D, Hemmings N, Simons MJP, Camacho JPM , Forstmeier W et al (2019) . Nature Communications, 10(1). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nenko I, Hayward AD, Simons MJP & Lummaa V (2018) . PLoS One, 13(12). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Tricola GM, Simons MJP, Atema E, Boughton RK, Brown JL, Dearborn DC, Divoky G, Eimes JA, Huntington CE, Kitaysky AS , Juola FA et al (2018) . Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 373(1741). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Martins RR, McCracken AW, Simons MJP, Henriques CM & Rera M (2018) . Bio-protocol, 8(3). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Winney IS, Schroeder J, Nakagawa S, Hsu Y-H, Simons MJ, Sánchez-Tójar A, Mannarelli M-E & Burke T (2018) . Journal of Evolutionary Biology , 31(1), 75-87. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Garratt M, Nakagawa S & Simons MJ (2017) . Journal of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 72(12), 1620-1626. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Hsu YH, Simons MJ, Schroeder J, Girndt A, Winney IS, Burke T & Nakagawa S (2017) . Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 30(5), 951-959. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Stulp G, Simons MJ, Grasman S & Pollet TV (2017) . American Journal of Human Biology, 29(1). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sánchez-Tójar A, Winney I, Girndt A, Simons MJP, Nakagawa S, Burke T & Schroeder J (2016) . Journal of Avian Biology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Verhulst S, Susser E, Factor-Litvak PR, Simons M, Benetos A, Steenstrup T, Kark JD & Aviv A (2016) . International Journal of Epidemiology, 45(4), 1298-1301. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Schroeder J, Hsu Y-H, Winney I, Simons M, Nakagawa S & Burke T (2016) . The American Naturalist, 188(2), 000-000. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Garratt M, Nakagawa S & Simons MJP (2016) . Aging Cell, 15(4), 737-743. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simons MJP, Briga M & Verhulst S (2016) . Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 29(7), 1368-1378. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Costantini D, Edwards DP & Simons MJP (2016) . Biological Conservation, 196, 182-188. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Speakman JR, Blount JD, Bronikowski AM, Buffenstein R, Isaksson C, Kirkwood TBL, Monaghan P, Ozanne SE, Beaulieu M, Briga M , Carr SK et al (2015) . Ecology and Evolution, 5(24), 5745-5757. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simons M (2015) . Ageing Research Reviews, 24(B), 191-196. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Verhulst S, Susser E, Factor-Litvak PR, Simons MJ, Benetos A, Steenstrup T, Kark JD & Aviv A (2015) . International Journal of Epidemiology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simons MJP, Winney I, Nakagawa S, Burke T & Schroeder J (2015) . Ecology and Evolution, 5(16), 3500-3506. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simons MJP, Groothuis TGG & Verhulst S (2015) . Ecology and Evolution, 5(1), 224-228. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simons MJP, Maia R, Leenknegt B & Verhulst S (2014) . The American Naturalist, 184(6), 741-751. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simons MJP, Briga M, Leenknegt B & Verhulst S (2014) . Behavioral Ecology, 25(4), 945-950. RIS download Bibtex download
  • van der Vinne V, Simons MJP, Reimert I & Gerkema MP (2014) . Physiology & Behavior, 128, 295-302. RIS download Bibtex download
  • van de Werken M, Booij SH, van der Zwan JE, Simons MJP, Gordijn MCM & Beersma DGM (2014) . Chronobiology International, 31(4), 572-580. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simons MJP, Stulp G & Nakagawa S (2014) . Biogerontology, 15(1), 99-103. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simons MJP, Koch W & Verhulst S (2013) . Aging Cell, 12(3), 410-414. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Boonekamp JJ, Simons MJP, Hemerik L & Verhulst S (2013) . Aging Cell, 12(2), 330-332. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simons MJP, Briga M, Koetsier E, Folkertsma R, Wubs MD, Dijkstra C & Verhulst S (2012) . PLoS ONE, 7(7), e40721-e40721. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simons MJP & Verhulst S (2011) . Behavioral Ecology, 22(4), 755-762. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simons MJP, Reimert I, van der Vinne V, Hambly C, Vaanholt LM, Speakman JR & Gerkema MP (2011) . Journal of Experimental Biology, 214(1), 38-49. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simons MJP (2009) . Journal of Biological Rhythms, 24(3), 175-182. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Brunner M, Simons MJP & Merrow M (2008) . Genes & Development, 22(11), 1422-1426. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Morland F, Ewen JG, Simons MJP, Brekke P & Hemmings N () . Molecular Ecology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simons MJP, Cohen AA & Verhulst S () . PLoS ONE, 7(8), e43088-e43088. RIS download Bibtex download

Conference proceedings papers

  • Nenko I, Hayward AD, Simons MJP & Lummaa V (2015) Does early-life environment cause differences in costs of reproduction in a preindustrial human population?. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Vol. 156 (pp 234-235) RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

  • Winder LA, Simons MJP & Burke T (2024) , eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simons MJP & Dobson AJ (2022) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Winder LA, Simons MJP & Burke T (2022) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simons MJP (2021) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Gautrey SL & Simons MJP (2021) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. RIS download Bibtex download
Research group

PhD students

  • Sarah Gautrey
  • Alex Charles
  • Katie Roome

Technicians

Teaching activities

I currently teach APS359 Topics in Modern Zoology, in addition to supervising L3, L4, L4 Tutor (Org Env), MSc and MRes students.