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Dr Robbie Baldock, Senior Lecturer

Dr Robbie Baldock PhD

Senior Lecturer

Faculty of Sport, Health and Social Sciences

robbie.baldock@solent.ac.uk023 8201 6189

Room iconRoom no. RM103

    Biography

    Dr Robbie Baldock is a senior lecturer in biochemistry at Solent University, Southampton. In 2020, he was appointed to the Biochemical Society’s Research Area Committee for Genes and serves as a member of the University’s Faculty Research Advisory Group.

    His laboratory studies the cellular mechanisms that maintain the integrity of DNA and how defects in these mechanisms can lead to disease. In 2016, Robbie completed his PhD at the Genome Damage and Stability Centre (University of Sussex) before moving to the USA to continue researching as a Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Pittsburgh.

    Biography overview:

    • 2020-present Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry (Solent University Southampton)
    • 2018-2020 Lecturer in Biochemistry (Solent University Southampton)
    • 2016-2018 Postdoctoral Associate (University of Pittsburgh)
    • 2012-2016 PhD in Biochemistry (University of Sussex)
    • 2011-2012 BSc (Hons) in Molecular Medicine (University of Sussex)

    Taught courses

    Biomedical science students in the lab

    Biomedical Science

    Further information

    Industry experience

    While in the US, Robbie provided consulting services for life science-based start-ups. He consulted on multiple projects as part of a dynamic team as well as leading projects to help innovators and investors realise the potential of the technologies.

    Teaching experience

    Before joining Solent in 2018, Robbie helped deliver the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Summer Academy programme to college students. The aim of this programme is to enable students from diverse backgrounds to get involved with cutting-edge research early in their careers.

    Between 2012 and 2015, Robbie served as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Sussex, teaching both undergraduate and postgraduate elements of the curriculum.

    Since joining Solent, Robbie has been awarded Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in recognition of his commitment to high-quality teaching and has spearheaded the use of augmented reality as an innovative teaching aid for bioscience education.

    Research interests

    The Baldock laboratory investigates the mechanisms that protect the integrity of DNA and repair. To achieve this, his lab employs molecular and cellular techniques such as microscopy, flow cytometry and various biochemical techniques to study the proteins involved. Recently, his lab was awarded funding from the Royal Society to investigate the mechanisms that protect mitochondrial DNA from accumulating damage.

    The Baldock laboratory is currently accepting applications from self-funded PhD students. Please contact Dr Baldock in the first instance for more information.

    Recent publications

    • Bigot, N., Day, M., Baldock, R. A., Watts, F. Z., Oliver, A. W. & Pearl, L. H (2019) Phosphorylation-mediated interactions with TOPBP1 couple 53BP1 and 9-1-1 to control the G1 DNA damage checkpoint. Elife, 8.
    • R. A. Baldock, C. A. Pressimone, J. M. Baird, A. Khodakov, T. T. Luong, M. K. Grundy, C. M. Smith, Y. Karpenshif, D. S. Bratton-Palmer, R. Prakash, M. Jasin, E. B. Garcin, S. Gon, M. Modesti, K. A. Bernstein (2019). “RAD51D splice variants and cancer-associated mutations reveal XRCC2 interaction to be critical for homologous recombination.” DNA Repair, 76, 99-107.
    • Lu, W. T., B. R. Hawley, G. L. Skalka, R. A. Baldock, E. M. Smith, A. S. Bader, M. Malewicz, F. Z. Watts, A. Wilczynska and M. Bushell (2018). "Drosha drives the formation of DNA:RNA hybrids around DNA break sites to facilitate DNA repair." Nature Communications 9(1): 532.
    • Densham, R. M., A. J. Garvin, H. R. Stone, J. Strachan, R. A. Baldock, M. Daza-Martin, A. Fletcher, S. Blair-Reid, J. Beesley, B. Johal, L. H. Pearl, R. Neely, N. H. Keep, F. Z. Watts and J. R. Morris (2016). "Human BRCA1-BARD1 ubiquitin ligase activity counteracts chromatin barriers to DNA resection." Nature Structural and Molecular Biology 23(7): 647-655.
    • Jongjitwimol, J ε., R. A. Baldock ε, S. J. Morley and F. Z. Watts (2016). "Sumoylation of eIF4A2 affects stress granule formation." Journal of Cell Science 129(12): 2407-2415.
    • Baldock, R. A ε., M. Day ε, O. J. Wilkinson, R. Cloney, P. A. Jeggo, A. W. Oliver, F. Z. Watts and L. H. Pearl (2015). "ATM Localization and Heterochromatin Repair Depend on Direct Interaction of the 53BP1-BRCT2 Domain with gammaH2AX." Cell Reports 13(10): 2081-2089.
    • Watts, F. Z., R. Baldock, J. Jongjitwimol and S. J. Morley (2014). "Weighing up the possibilities: Controlling translation by ubiquitylation and sumoylation." Translation 2(1): e29211.
    • Jongjitwimol, J., M. Feng, L. Zhou, O. Wilkinson, L. Small, R. Baldock, D. L. Taylor, D. Smith, L. D. Bowler, S. J. Morley and F. Z. Watts (2014). "The S. pombe Translation Initiation Factor.

    * denotes joint first authorship