Simon Bridge

Simon Bridge is a Senior Lecturer in Virology and Viral Immunology at Northumbria University’s Faculty of Health & Life Sciences. With over two decades of experience in academia, industry, and the National Health Service, he specializes in viral hepatitis, microbial communities, and cardiovascular diseases. He holds a Medicine PhD from 2003, with training at Bristol University, Liverpool University, and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. His research focuses on hepatitis C virus (HCV) interactions with lipoproteins, the role of HCV in atherosclerosis, and the impact of microbial communities on inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Notably, his work includes clinical trials investigating statins and n-3 fatty acids to reduce HCV viral loads.

Education: Medicine PhD (2003). Key research themes include HCV pathogenesis, host-virus interactions, and translational applications of bacteriophage research. He collaborates on projects linking gut microbiota to Crohn’s disease and explores viral immunology in chronic infections. Recent work examines autoantibody biomarkers in HCV and the phageome of preterm infant microbiota.

His publications span virology, immunology, and microbiology, with contributions to understanding SARS-CoV-2 comorbidities and vaccine-related autoimmune flares. Simon’s interdisciplinary approach integrates clinical, molecular, and ecological perspectives to address global health challenges in infectious and inflammatory diseases.