The role of metabolism in mediating the inflammatory phenotype of the synovial fibroblast in patients with osteoarthritis

Career overview

Professor Simon W Jones graduated from the University of Nottingham in 1994 with a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry. After completing a PGCE in Secondary School Education, he earned a PhD in 1999, investigating the fibre type specific expression and functional role of calpain proteases in skeletal muscle growth. He then spent four years as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the research group of Professor Paul Greenhaff at the University of Nottingham, focusing on immobilisation-induced skeletal muscle atrophy and exercise rehabilitation, where he was the first to publish findings on the effects of immobilisation in humans on muscle-specific ubiquitin ligases. In 2003, Professor Jones joined AstraZeneca in Alderley Park as a Senior Research Scientist, where he explored the use of cell penetrating peptides for the delivery of oligonucleotide antisense and peptide cargo. He also led drug target identification and validation studies within AstraZeneca''s osteoarthritis drug discovery team, successfully advancing drug targets CXCR7/RDC1 and MAPKAPK2 through to lead generation. He was notably the first to report the expression profile of microRNAs in human osteoarthritis cartilage and bone. In 2011, he became the Research Laboratory Head at Boehringer-Ingelheim in Vienna, Austria, directing studies to validate new biological entities in oncology. In 2012, he transitioned to the University of Birmingham as a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, where he established the Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Inflammation Group and has served as Chief Investigator on five NIHR-adopted clinical studies involving over 1000 patient participants. Professor Jones has secured over £2 million in research funding from various sources, including charities and industry. His research group was the first to report on the role of long non-coding RNAs in the inflammatory response of human osteoarthritis chondrocytes and has made significant contributions to understanding the functional role of lncRNAs in mediating inflammation. He was promoted to Reader in 2019 and to Professor in Musculoskeletal Ageing in 2022. His current research, supported by funding from the MRC Advanced Pain Discovery Platform and Eli Lilly Global Pain Discovery, investigates pain-associated fibroblast subsets in mediating inflammatory osteoarthritis joint pain.

Research interests

Professor Jones''s research focuses on understanding the inflammatory and metabolic mechanisms that mediate joint and musculoskeletal pathological disorders, including Osteoarthritis, Sarcopenia, Type II Diabetes, and Scoliosis. He has a particular interest in the role of non-coding RNAs, such as miRNAs and long non-coding RNAs, in mediating inflammatory responses and how obesity affects the pathology of diseased joint and musculoskeletal tissues. His current research projects include investigating the role of synovial fibroblasts in mediating joint pain in osteoarthritis, the functional role of long non-coding RNAs in obesity-associated chronic inflammatory diseases, understanding the intrinsic drivers of scoliosis, and determining the drivers of age-related decline in skeletal muscle mass and function. Professor Jones''s research group conducts clinical translational studies and has established a biobank of tissues and derived primary cells from over 1000 well-characterised patient cohorts. He has reported on the role of long non-coding RNAs in the inflammatory response of human osteoarthritis chondrocytes and the functional role of lncRNA MALAT1 in mediating the inflammatory obese osteoarthritis synovial fibroblast phenotype. His recent work includes investigating synovial tissue at sites of joint pain in osteoarthritis patients and the differential phenotype of distinct synovial fibroblast subsets.

Dr J Falconer's profile is coming soon

Dr Lisa Chakrabarti's profile is coming soon

Career overview

Professor Mandy Peffers obtained a degree in Animal Science from the University of Leeds before pursuing a veterinary degree at The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, qualifying as a veterinarian in 1995. She spent 11 years working in industry and private practice before returning to academia to complete a PhD, supported by the Wellcome Trust. Initially, she held a Wellcome Trust Veterinary Research Entry Fellowship for one year, followed by an Integrated Veterinary Training Fellowship. Her PhD research focused on ''Proteomic and transcriptomic signatures of cartilage ageing and disease,'' and the subsequent three years were spent in a postdoctoral role studying ''A Systems Biology Approach to Musculoskeletal Ageing.'' Currently, she is a Wellcome Trust Clinical Intermediate Fellow investigating ''The role of small nucleolar RNAs in cartilage ageing and disease.'' Professor Peffers leads a research group that examines the epigenetics of musculoskeletal ageing and disease across humans, dogs, and horses. The group, known as the ''Peffers Lab,'' includes PhD students, postdoctoral research associates, and master''s students, and welcomes visiting students and scientists at various research levels.

Research interests

Professor Mandy Peffers'' research focuses on the epigenetics of musculoskeletal ageing and disease, particularly in relation to cartilage ageing and disease mechanisms. She has been involved in various studies, including the investigation of proteomic and transcriptomic signatures of cartilage ageing and disease, as well as a systems biology approach to musculoskeletal ageing. Currently, she is a Wellcome Trust Clinical Intermediate Fellow studying the role of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) in cartilage ageing and disease. Her research group, known as the ''Peffers Lab'', includes PhD students, postdoctoral research associates, and master''s students, and collaborates with visiting researchers at various levels. The lab''s work encompasses a range of projects, including the roles of snoRNAs in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the investigation of extracellular vesicles in equine musculoskeletal pathologies, and the development of in vitro models for veterinary orthopaedic research. Additionally, the lab explores novel therapeutic strategies for conditions such as osteoarthritis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, aiming to identify biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets related to musculoskeletal ageing and disease.