Staff Profile

Dr Ken F Baker, PhD, MRes, BA(Hons), BMBCh, MRCP(UK), PGCert(Med Ed) 

Senior Clinical Fellow and Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist

Ken studied Medicine at Oxford University including an intercalated BA in Medical Sciences. Following graduation in 2008, he completed his Foundation and Core Medical Training in Oxford and Yorkshire. He was awarded membership of the Royal College of Physicians in 2011, and moved to Newcastle in the following year to start Specialist Registrar training in Rheumatology. In 2013 he was awarded a 4 year Clinical Research Fellowship in Translational Medicine and Therapeutics by the Wellcome Trust and Newcastle University. In September 2014 he was awarded a Master of Research (MRes) degree, and in 2018 he was awarded a PhD (Newcastle University) for his work in identifying predictors of drug-free remission in rheumatoid arthritis. He completed clinical rheumatology training (CCT) in 2020, and is currently a Senior Clinical Fellow at Newcastle University and an Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

My research aims to better understand the balance between sustained remission and disease flare in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. By studying this, I hope to be able to identify biomarkers that can predict drug-free remission and flare, which may help to both guide current drug therapy and shed light on possible novel therapeutic targets.

• Articles

  • Baker KF, McDonald D, Hulme G, Hussain R, Coxhead J, Swan D, Schulz AR, Mei HE, MacDonald L, Pratt AG, Filby A, Anderson AE, Isaacs JD. Single-cell insights into immune dysregulation in rheumatoid arthritis flare versus drug-free remission. Nature Communications 2024, 15, 1063.
  • Lin CMA, Bennett J, Rajagopala L, Hunter E, Lorenzi AR, Griffiths B, Baker KF. COVID-19 antiviral therapy for non-hospitalised immunosuppressed patients with rheumatic diseases is feasible with positive outcomes. Rheumatology 2023, 62(6), e185-e187.
  • Shields AM, Anantharachagan A, Arumugakani G, Baker K, Bahal S, Baxendale H, Bermingham W, Bhole M, Boules E, Bright P, Chopra C, Cliffe L, Cleave B, Dempster J, Devlin L, Dhalla F, Diwakar L, Drewe E, Duncan C, Dziadzio M, Elcombe S, Elkhalifa S, Gennery A, Ghanta H, Goddard S, Grigoriadou S, Hackett S, Hayman G, Herriot R, Herwadkar A, Huissoon A, Jain R, Jolles S, Johnston S, Khan S, Laffan J, Lane P, Leeman L, Lowe DM, Mahabir S, Lochlainn DJM, McDermott E, Misbah S, Moghaddas F, Morsi H, Murng S, Noorani S, O'Brien R, Patel S, Price A, Rahman T, Seneviratne S, Shrimpton A, Stroud C, Thomas M, Townsend K, Vaitla P, Verma N, Williams A, Burns SO, Savic S, Richter AG. Outcomes following SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with primary and secondary immunodeficiency in the UK. Clinical and Experimental Immunology 2022, 209(3), 247-258.
  • Vlachogiannis N, Baker K, Georgiopoulos G, Lazaridis C, Schim van der Loeff I, Hanrath A, Sopova K, Tual-Chalot S, Gatsiou A, Spyridopoulos I, Stamatelopoulos K, Duncan C, Stellos K. Clinical frailty, and not features of acute infection, is associated with late mortality in COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle 2022, 13(3), 1502-1513.
  • RECOVERY Collaborative Group, Inc. The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hunter E, De Soyza A, Agbeko R, Baker K, Barr A, Cameron E, Campbell Hewson Q, Duncan C, Emonts M, Fenn A, Francis S, Glover Bengtsson J, Greenhalgh A, Hanrath A, Houghton K, Jerry D, Jones G, Kelly S, Lane N, Macfarlane J, McAlinden P, McCullagh I, McDonald S, Mohammed O, Obukofe R, Parker J, Patience A, Payne B, Price D, Razvi S, Robson S, Sanchez Gonzalez A, Stephenson E, Welton R, West S, Wong E, Yelnoorkar J. Casirivimab and imdevimab in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial. The Lancet 2022, 399(10325), 665-676.
  • Stephenson E, Reynolds G, Botting RA, Calero-Nieto FJ, Morgan MD, Tuong ZK, Bach K, Sungnak W, Worlock KB, Yoshida M, Kumasaka N, Kania K, Engelbert J, Olabi B, Spegarova JS, Wilson NK, Mende N, Jardine L, Gardner LCS, Goh I, Horsfall D, McGrath J, Webb S, Mather MW, Lindeboom RGH, Dann E, Huang N, Polanski K, Prigmore E, Gothe F, Scott J, Payne RP, Baker KF, Hanrath AT, Schim van der Loeff ICD, Barr AS, Sanchez-Gonzalez A, Bergamaschi L, Mescia F, Barnes JL, Kilich E, de Wilton A, Saigal A, Saleh A, Janes SM, Smith CM, Gopee N, Wilson C, Coupland P, Coxhead JM, Kiselev VY, van Dongen S, Bacardit J, King HW, Rostron AJ, Simpson AJ, Hambleton S, Laurenti E, Lyons PA, Meyer KB, Nikolic MZ, Duncan CJA, Smith KGC, Teichmann SA, Clatworthy MR, Marioni JC, Göttgens B, Haniffa M. Single-cell multi-omics analysis of the immune response in COVID-19. Nature Medicine 2021, 27, 904-916.
  • Hanrath AT, Schim van der Loeff I, Lendrem DW, Baker KF, Price DA, McDowall P, McDowall K, Cook S, Towns P, Schwab U, Evans A, Dixon J, Collins J, Burton-Fanning S, Saunders D, Harwood J, Samuel J, Schmid ML, Pareja-Cebrian L, Hunter E, Murphy E, Taha Y, Payne BAI, Duncan CJA. SARS-CoV-2 Testing of 11,884 Healthcare Workers at an Acute NHS Hospital Trust in England: A Retrospective Analysis. Frontiers in Medicine 2021, 8, 636160.
  • Li CKH, Baker K, Jones T, Coulson E, Roberts A, Birrell F. Safety and Tolerability of Subcutaneous Methotrexate in Routine Clinical Practice. Arthritis Care and Research 2021, 73(9), 1306-1311.
  • Baker KF, Hanrath AT, Schim van der Loeff I, Kay LJ, Back J, Duncan CJA. National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) to identify inpatient COVID-19 deterioration: a retrospective analysis. Clinical Medicine 2021, 21(2), 84-89.
  • Calderon M, Li A, Bazo-Alvarez JC, Dennis J, Baker KF, Schim van der Loeff I, Hanrath AT, Capstick R, Payne BAI, Weiand D, Hunter E, Schwab U. Evaluation of procalcitonin-guided antimicrobial stewardship in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 pneumonia. JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance 2021, 3(3).
  • Stamatelopoulos K, Georgiopoulos G, Baker KF, Tiseo G, Delialis D, Lazaridis C, Barbieri G, Masi S, Vlachogiannis NI, Sopova K, Mengozzi A, Ghiadoni L, Ajdini B, Ghiadoni L, van der Loeff IS, Vlachopoulos C, Dimopoulos MA, Falcone M, Stellos K, Duncan CJA, Tiseo G, Barbieri G, Masi S, Mengozzi A, Falcone M, Monzani F, Menichetti F, Virdis A, Forfori F, Rubia B, Pietro B, Francesco C, Alessandra DR, Giulia B, Fabio G, Paolo M, Marco M, Chiara P, Naria P, Alessandro C, Carrozzi L, Francesco C, Santini M, Alessandro C, Martina B, Matteo B, Elia N, Stefano S, Francesca R, Giovanna F, Maria S, De Marco S, Rachele A, Valeria C, Simone P, Luciano C, Chiara S, Valentina G, Uliana M, Baker KF, van der Loeff IS, Hanrath AT, Hanrath AT, Duncan CJA, Tee SA, Capstick R, Marchitelli G, Li A, Barr A, Eid A, Ahmed S, Bajwa D, Mohammed O. Estimated pulse wave velocity improves risk stratification for all-cause mortality in patients with COVID-19. Scientific Reports 2021, 11(1), 20239.
  • Baker KF, Hanrath AT, Schim van der Loeff I, Tee SA, Capstick R, Marchitelli G, Li A, Barr A, Eid A, Ahmed S, Bajwa D, Mohammed O, Alderson N, Lendrem C, Lendrem DW, COVID Control Group THE, COVID Clinical Group THE, Pareja-Cebrian L, Welch A, Field J, Payne BAI, Taha Y, Price DA, Gibbins C, Schmid ML, Hunter E, Duncan CJA. COVID-19 Management in a UK NHS Foundation Trust with a High Consequence Infectious Diseases Centre: A Retrospective Analysis. Medical Sciences 2021, 9(1), 6.
  • Shields AM, Burns SO, Savic S, Richter AG, Anantharachagan A, Arumugakani G, Baker K, Bahal S, Bermingham W, Bhole M, Boules E, Bright P, Burns S, Cleave B, Dempster J, Devlin L, Dhalla F, Drewe E, Duncan C, Dziadzio M, Elkhalifa S, Gennery A, Goddard S, Grigoriadou S, Hayman G, Herwadkar A, Huissoon A, Jain R, Jolles S, Johnston S, Leeman L, Mahabir S, MacLochlainn D, McDermott E, Misbah S, Morsi H, Murng S, Noorani S, O'Brien R, Patel S, Price A, Richter A, Seneviratne S, Shields A, Shrimpton A, Stroud C, Vaitla P, Verma N. COVID-19 in patients with primary and secondary immunodeficiency: The United Kingdom experience. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2021, 147(3), 870-875.
  • Rayner F, Anderson AE, Baker KF, Buckley CD, Dyke B, Fenton S, Filer A, Goodyear CS, Hilkens CMU, Hiu S, Kerrigan S, Kurowska-Stolarska M, Matthews F, McInnes I, Ng W-F, Pratt AG, Prichard J, Raza K, Siebert S, Stocken D, Teare MD, Young S, Isaacs JD. BIOlogical Factors that Limit sustAined Remission in rhEumatoid arthritis (the BIO-FLARE study): protocol for a non-randomised longitudinal cohort study. BMC Rheumatology 2021, 5, 22.
  • Baker KF, Thompson B, Lendrem DW, Scadeng A, Pratt AG, Isaacs JD. Lack of association between clinical and ultrasound measures of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis remission. Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease 2020, 12.
  • Manson JJ, Crooks C, Naja M, Ledlie A, Goulden B, Liddle T, Khan E, Mehta P, Martin-Gutierrez L, Waddington KE, Robinson GA, Ribeiro Santos L, McLoughlin E, Snell A, Adeney C, Schim van der Loeff I, Baker KF, Duncan CJA, Hanrath AT, Lendrem BC, De Soyza A, Peng J, J'Bari H, Greenwood M, Hawkins E, Peckham H, Marks M, Rampling T, Luintel A, Williams B, Brown M, Singer M, West J, Jury EC, Collin M, Tattersall RS. COVID-19-associated hyperinflammation and escalation of patient care: a retrospective longitudinal cohort study. The Lancet Rheumatology 2020, 2(10), e594-e602.
  • Baker KF, Skelton AJ, Lendrem DW, Scadeng A, Thompson B, Pratt AG, Isaacs JD. Predicting drug-free remission in rheumatoid arthritis: A prospective interventional cohort study. Journal of Autoimmunity 2019, 105, 102298.
  • Baker KF, Isaacs JD, Thompson B. “Living a normal life”: a qualitative study of patients’ views of medication withdrawal in rheumatoid arthritis. BMC Rheumatology 2019, 3, 2.
  • Baker KF, Pratt AG, Thompson B, Isaacs JD. Response to: 'Let's stop fooling ourselves. In RA, only ACR/EULAR criteria define remission and equate with absence of disease!' by Boers. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2017, 76(6), e12.
  • Baker KF, Jandial S, Thompson B, Walker D, Taylor K, Foster HF. Use of structured musculoskeletal examination routines in undergraduate medical education and postgraduate clinical practice – a UK survey. BMC Medical Education 2016, 16, 227.
  • Baker K, Morris J, McCarthy N, Saldana L, Lowther J, Collinson A, Young M. An outbreak of norovirus infection linked to oyster consumption at a UK restaurant, February 2010. Journal of Public Health 2011, 33(2), 205-11.

• Letters

  • Hanrath AT, Payne BAI, Duncan CJA. Prior SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with protection against symptomatic reinfection. Journal of Infection 2021, 82(4), e29-e30.
  • Baker KF, Pratt AG, Isaacs JD. Half-Dose vs Stable-Dose Conventional Synthetic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs and Disease Flare in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association 2021, 326(9), 872-873.
  • Hunter E, Price DA, Murphy E, Schim van der Loeff I, Baker KF, Lendrem D, Lendrem C, Schmid ML, Pareja-Cebrian L, Welch A, Payne BAI, Duncan CJA. First experience of COVID-19 screening of health-care workers in England. The Lancet 2020, 395(10234), e77-e78.

• Reviews

  • Baker KF, Sim JPX, Isaacs JD. Biomarkers of tolerance in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: a new era in clinical management?. The Lancet Rheumatology 2021, 3(5), e371-e382.
  • Baker KF, Isaacs JD. Novel therapies for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: What can we learn from their use in rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis?. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2018, 77(2), 175-187.
  • Baker KF, Isaacs JD. Prospects for therapeutic tolerance in humans. Current Opinion in Rheumatology 2014, 26(2), 219-227.