Dr Mirre Simons

School of Biosciences

Senior Lecturer

Profile photo of Mirre Simons
Profile picture of Profile photo of Mirre Simons
m.simons@sheffield.ac.uk
B89, Alfred Denny Building

Full contact details

Dr Mirre Simons
School of Biosciences
B89
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN
Profile
  • Sir Henry Dale Fellowship, Wellcome & Royal Society (2019-2025)
  • Vice-Chancellor's Fellowship, Animal and Plant Sciences, Sheffield (2015-2019)
  • Sir Henry Wellcome Fellowship (2015-2019)
  • Postdoctoral researcher (NERC-funded), Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield (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 Sheffield (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

  • Simons MJP (2025) . Aging, 17(6), 1371-1374.
  • Winder LA, Simons MJP & Burke T (2025) . eLife, 12.
  • Hayman DJ, Morrin LM, Halder S, Phillips EJ, Simons MJP & Evans IR (2025) . Journal of Experimental Biology, 228(9).
  • Chik HYJ, Sibma A, Mannarelli M-E, dos Remedios N, Simons MJP, Burke T, Dugdale HL & Schroeder J (2025) . Evolution Letters, 9(2), 209-220.
  • Kim J, Huang K, Vo PTT, Miao T, Correia J, Kumar A, Simons MJP & Bai H (2024) . PNAS Nexus, 3(10).
  • Chik HYJ, Mannarelli M, dos Remedios N, Simons MJP, Burke T, Schroeder J & Dugdale HL (2024) . Molecular Ecology, 33(15).
  • Phillips EJ & Simons MJP (2024) . Functional Ecology, 38(6), 1357-1363.
  • Drake ED & Simons MJP (2023) . Aging Biology, 1(1), 1-6.
  • Morland F, Ewen JG, Simons MJP, Brekke P & Hemmings N (2023) . Molecular Ecology, 32(14), 4031-4043.
  • Simons MJP & Dobson AJ (2023) . Ageing Research Reviews, 87.
  • Phillips EJ & Simons MJP (2023) . GeroScience, 45(2), 1263-1270.
  • Bennett S, Girndt A, Sánchez-Tójar A, Burke T, Simons M & Schroeder J (2022) . Frontiers in Genetics, 13.
  • Gautrey SL & Simons MJP (2022) . Journals of Gerontology, Series A, 77(11), 2181-2185.
  • Simons MJP, Sebire M, Verhulst S & Groothuis TGG (2021) . Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 9.
  • McCracken AW, Buckle E & Simons MJP (2020) . The Journal of Experimental Biology, 223(23).
  • van Lieshout SHJ, Froy H, Schroeder J, Burke T, Simons MJP & Dugdale HL (2020) . Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 11(3), 418-430.
  • McCracken AW, Adams G, Hartshorne L, Tatar M & Simons MJP (2020) . Science Advances, 6(8).
  • 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), ---.
  • Nenko I, Hayward AD, Simons MJP & Lummaa V (2018) . PLoS One, 13(12).
  • 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 B: Biological Sciences, 373(1741).
  • Martins RR, McCracken AW, Simons MJP, Henriques CM & Rera M (2018) . Bio-protocol, 8(3).
  • 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.
  • Garratt M, Nakagawa S & Simons MJ (2017) . Journal of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 72(12), 1620-1626.
  • Hsu YH, Simons MJ, Schroeder J, Girndt A, Winney IS, Burke T & Nakagawa S (2017) . Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 30(5), 951-959.
  • Stulp G, Simons MJ, Grasman S & Pollet TV (2017) . American Journal of Human Biology, 29(1).
  • Sánchez-Tójar A, Winney I, Girndt A, Simons MJP, Nakagawa S, Burke T & Schroeder J (2016) . Journal of Avian Biology.
  • 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.
  • Schroeder J, Hsu Y-H, Winney I, Simons M, Nakagawa S & Burke T (2016) . The American Naturalist, 188(2), 000-000.
  • Garratt M, Nakagawa S & Simons MJP (2016) . Aging Cell, 15(4), 737-743.
  • Simons MJP, Briga M & Verhulst S (2016) . Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 29(7), 1368-1378.
  • Costantini D, Edwards DP & Simons MJP (2016) . Biological Conservation, 196, 182-188.
  • 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.
  • Simons MJP (2015) . Ageing Research Reviews.
  • Verhulst S, Susser E, Factor-Litvak PR, Simons MJ, Benetos A, Steenstrup T, Kark JD & Aviv A (2015) . International Journal of Epidemiology.
  • Simons MJP, Winney I, Nakagawa S, Burke T & Schroeder J (2015) . Ecology and Evolution, 5(16), 3500-3506.
  • Simons MJP, Groothuis TGG & Verhulst S (2015) . Ecology and Evolution, 5(1), 224-228.
  • Simons MJP, Maia R, Leenknegt B & Verhulst S (2014) . The American Naturalist, 184(6), 741-751.
  • Simons MJP, Briga M, Leenknegt B & Verhulst S (2014) . Behavioral Ecology, 25(4), 945-950.
  • van der Vinne V, Simons MJP, Reimert I & Gerkema MP (2014) . Physiology & Behavior, 128, 295-302.
  • van de Werken M, Booij SH, van der Zwan JE, Simons MJP, Gordijn MCM & Beersma DGM (2014) . Chronobiology International, 31(4), 572-580.
  • Simons MJP, Stulp G & Nakagawa S (2014) . Biogerontology, 15(1), 99-103.
  • Simons MJP, Koch W & Verhulst S (2013) . Aging Cell, 12(3), 410-414.
  • Boonekamp JJ, Simons MJP, Hemerik L & Verhulst S (2013) . Aging Cell, 12(2), 330-332.
  • Simons MJP, Cohen AA & Verhulst S (2012) . PLOS One, 7(8).
  • Simons MJP, Briga M, Koetsier E, Folkertsma R, Wubs MD, Dijkstra C & Verhulst S (2012) . PLoS ONE, 7(7), e40721-e40721.
  • Simons MJP & Verhulst S (2011) . Behavioral Ecology, 22(4), 755-762.
  • 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.
  • Simons MJP (2009) . Journal of Biological Rhythms, 24(3), 175-182.
  • Brunner M, Simons MJP & Merrow M (2008) . Genes & Development, 22(11), 1422-1426.
  • Unfried M, Scheibye-Knudsen M, Alon U, Gruber J, Jensen M, Johnson J, Karin O, Kedlian VR, Kennedy B, Rutenberg A , Simons MJP et al () . Aging Biology, 3(1), 20250042-20250042.

Conference proceedings

  • 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)

Preprints

  • Götz MS, Hayman DJ, Adams G, Obata F & Simons MJP (2025) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Winder LA, Pick J, Schroeder J, Simons MJP & Burke T (2025) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Gautrey SL, Dunning LT, Gossmann TI & Simons MJP (2025) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Winder LA, Simons MJP & Burke T (2025) , eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd.
  • Winder LA, Hogger Gadsby J, Wellman E, Pick JL, Simons MJP & Burke T (2024) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Firsanov D, Zacher M, Tian X, Sformo TL, Zhao Y, Tombline G, Lu JY, Zheng Z, Perelli L, Gurreri E , Zhang L et al (2023) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Drake ED & Simons MJP (2023) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Simons MJP & Dobson AJ (2022) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Winder LA, Simons MJP & Burke T (2022) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Simons MJP (2021) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Simons MJP, Hartshorne L, Trooster S, Thomson J & Tatar M (2019) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Simons MJP, Winney I, Girndt A, Rees M, Nakagawa S, Schroeder J & Burke T (2019) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
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.

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