Derek Sim


Website:
Email: dgs15@psu.edu

C.V.

Pennsylvania State University, USA (2007-current)
Senior Research Assistant

Assistant Research Professor (2017)

Associate Research Professor (2018)

University of Edinburgh, Scotland (2003-2007)
Senior Research Technician

Institute for Animal Health, Berkshire, England. (2000-2003)
Research Technician

University of Bath, England. (1999-2000)
Pharmacology Technician

DEGREES:
B.Sc (Hons) Microbiology, Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland. (1995-1999).
M.Sc Medical Molecular Biology, Westminster University, London, England. (2001-2003).

Research interests


Publications



JA Belser, EHY Lau, W Barclay, IG Barr, H Chen, RAM Fouchier, M Hatta, D Sim TC Sutton (2022) Robustness of the ferret model for influenza risk assessment studies: a cross-laboratory exercise. Mbio 13 (4), e01174-22

PJ Kerr, IM Cattadori, D Sim, J Liu, EC Holmes, AF Read (2022) Divergent Evolutionary Pathways of Myxoma Virus in Australia: Virulence Phenotypes in Susceptible and Partially Resistant Rabbits Indicate Possible Selection for Transmissibility. Journal of Virology, e00886-22

VJ Morley, DG Sim, A Penkevich, RJ Woods, AF Read (2022) An orally administered drug prevents selection for antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the gut during daptomycin therapy. Evolution, medicine, and public health 10 (1), 439-446


CJ Field, TA Heinly, DR Patel, DG Sim, E Luley, SL Gupta, TH Vanderford, J Wrammert, TC Sutton (2022) Immune durability and protection against SARS-CoV-2 re-infection in Syrian hamsters. Emerging microbes & infections 11 (1), 1103-1114.

Devanshi R. Patel, Cassandra J. Field, Kayla M. Septer, Derek G. Sim, Matthew J. Jones, Talia A. Heinly, Thomas H. Vanderford, Elizabeth A. McGraw, Troy C. Sutton (2021). Transmission and protection against re-infection in the ferret model with the SARS-CoV-2 USA-WA1/2020 reference isolate
Journal of Virology, JVI. 02232-20

Morley, V.J., Kinnear, C.L., Sim, D.G., Olson, S.N., Jackson, L.M., Hansen, E., Usher, G.A., Showalter, S.A., Pai, M.P., Woods, R.J., & Read, A.F. (2020). An adjunctive therapy approach prevents antibiotic resistance emergence in opportunistic pathogens colonizing the gut. bioRxiv

Acosta, M., Bram, J., Sim, D., & Read, A.F. (2020). The effect of drug dose and timing of treatment on the emergence of drug resistance in vivo in a malaria model. bioRxiv.

Wale, N., Jones, M.J., Sim, D.G., Read, A.F., & King, A.A. (2019). Breaking down defenses: quantitative analysis of malaria infection dynamics reveals distinct immune defense strategies.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA

Wale, N., Sim, D.G., Jones, M.J., Salathe, R., Day, T., & Read, A.F. (2017). Resource limitation prevents the emergence of drug resistance by intensifying within host competition. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 114: 13774-13779. 

Liu, J., Cattadori, I., Sim, D.G., Eden, J-S. Holmes, E.C., Read, A.F., & Kerr, P.J. (2017). Reverse engineering field isolates of myxoma virus demonstrates that some gene disruptions or loss of function do not explain virulence changes observed in the field. Journal of Virology.  91:e01289-17.

Kerr. P.J., Cattadori, I., Liu, J., Sim, D.G., Dodds, J., Brooks, J., Kennett, M., Holmes, E.C., & Read, A.F. (2017). The next step in the on-going arms race between myxoma virus and wild rabbits in Australia is a novel disease phenotype. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA. 114: 9397-9402.

Wale, N., Sim, D.G., & Read, A.F. (2017). A nutrient mediates intraspecific competition between rodent malaria parasites in vivo. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B 284: 20171067

Kerr, P.J., Cattadori, I., Rogers, M.B., Fitch, A., Geber, A., Liu, J., Sim, D.G., Boag, B., Eden, J-B., Ghedin, E., Read, A.F., & Holmes, E.C. (2017). Genomic and phenotypic characterization of myxoma virus from Great Britain reveals multiple evolutionary pathways distinct from those in Australia. PLoS Pathogens 13: e1006252.

Ssentongo, P., Robuccio, A.E., Thuku, G., Sim, D.G., Nabi, A., Bahari, F., Shanmugasundaram, B., Billard, M., Geronimo, A., Short, K.W., Drew, P.J., Baccon, J., Weinstein, S.L., Gilliam, F.G., Soute, J.A., Chincilli, V., Read, A.F., Gluckman, B.J., & Schiff, S.J. (2017). A murine model to study epilepsy and SUDEP induced by malaria infection. Scientific Reports 7:43652.

Moraes, C.M., Stanczyk, N.M., Betz, H.S., Sim, D.G., Read, A.F. & Mescher, M.C. (2014). Scent of disease: Malaria-induced changes in host odors enhance mosquito attraction. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA

Pollitt, L.C., Sim, D.G., Salathe, R.M., & Read, A.F. (2014). Understanding genetic variation in in vivo tolerance to artesunate: implications for treatment efficacy and resistance monitoring. Evolutionary Applications.

Pollitt, L.C., Huijben, S., Sim, D.G., Salathe, R.M., Jones, M. & Read, A.F. (2014). Rapid response to selection, competitive release and increased transmission potential of artesunate-selected Plasmodium chabaudimalaria parasites. PLoS Pathogens

Barclay, V.C., Kennedy, D., Weaver, V.C., Sim, D., Lloyd-Smith, J.O. & Read, A.F. (2014). The effect of immunodeficiency on the evolution of virulence: an experimental test with the rodent malaria Plasmodium chabaudiAmerican Naturalist

Huijben, S., Bell, A. S., Sim, D.., Salathe, R., Tomasello, D., Mideo, N., Day, T., & Read, A.F. (2013). Aggressive chemotherapy and the selection of drug resistant pathogens. PLoS Pathogens 9: e1003578.

Schneider, P., Bell, A.S., Sim, D.., O’Donnell, A.J., Blanford, S., Paaijmans, K.P., Read, A.F., & Reece, S.E. (2012). Virulence, drug sensitivity and transmission success in the rodent malaria, Plasmodium chabaudiProceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B. PDF

Barclay, V.C., Sim, D., Chan, B.H.K., Nell, L.A., Rabaa, M.A., Bell, A.S., Anders, R.F., Read, A.F. (2012).  The evolutionary consequences of blood-stage vaccination on the rodent malaria Plasmodium chabaudi. PLoS Biology 10: e1001368.

Bell, A.S, Huijben, S., Paaijmans, K.P., Sim, D., Chan, B.H.K., Nelson, W.A., & Read A.F. (2012). Enhanced transmission of drug-resistance parasites to mosquitoes following drug treatment in rodent malaria. PLoS One.

Huijben, S., Sim, D., Nelson, W.A., & Read, A.F. (2011), The fitness of drug resistant malaria parasites in a rodent model: multiplicity of infection. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 24: 2410-2422 doi: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02369.x

Huijben, S., Nelson, W.A., Wargo, A.R., Sim, D., Drew, D.R., & Read, A.F. (2010). Chemotherapy, within-host ecology and the fitness of drug resistant malaria parasites. Evolution. DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2010.01068.x

Råberg, L., Sim, D. & Read, A.F.(2007) Disentangling genetic variation for resistance and tolerance to infectious diseases in animals. Science.318: 812

Bell, A.S., de Roode, C.J., Sim, D. & Read, A. F. (2006) . Within-host competition in genetically diverse malaria infections: parasite virulence and competitive success. Evolution. 60 (7):1358-1371.

Blanford, S., Chan, B.H.K., Jenkins, N., Sim, D., Turner, R.J., Read, A.F., & Thomas, M.B. (2005) Fungal pathogen reduces potential for malaria transmission. Science. 308: 1638-1641.

 

Miscellaneous

I am an evolutionary biologist focusing on malaria, myxomatosis, cancer, influenza, covid-19, and bacterial resistance. I work on the evolution of drug resistance and evolutionary vaccinology and how they impact on modern drug and vaccine regimens.  The two main questions in my research are 1) Can we slow the evolution of drug resistance by taking novel approaches to how we use front-line drugs and 2) Will the use of vaccination result in the evolution of more aggressive disease?

I enjoy sailing, windsurfing, and fatherhood.