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.

• 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.
• Vlachogiannis NI, Baker KF, Georgiopoulos G, Lazaridis C, Schim van der Loeff I, Hanrath AT, Sopova K, Tual-Chalot S, Gatsiou A, Spyridopoulos I, Stamatelopoulos K, Duncan CJA, Stellos K. Clinical frailty, and not features of acute infection, is associated with late mortality in COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle 2022.
• 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, 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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).
• 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.
• 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, (ePub ahead of Print).
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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, 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, Thompson B, Lendrem D, Pratt AG, Isaacs JD. Lack of association between clinical and ultrasound measures of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis clinical remission: a cross-sectional analysis. In: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR 2018). 2018, Amsterdam: BMJ Publishing Group.
• 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, Skelton AJ, Lendrem DW, Thompson B, Pratt AG, Isaacs JD. Predictors of drug-free remission in rheumatoid arthritis: results from the prospective Biomarkers of Remission in Rheumatoid Arthritis (BioRRA) Study. In: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR 2018). 2018, Amsterdam: BMJ Publishing Group.
• Baker KF, Isaacs JD. To taper or not to taper non biological DMARDs in RA remission?. In: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR 2018). 2018, Amsterdam: BMJ Publishing Group.
• 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, Thompson B, Lendrem DW, Pratt AG, Isaacs JD. Ultrasound measures of synovitis are independent of clinical parameters in the setting of rheumatoid arthritis remission: a cross-sectional analysis. In: 2016 Annual European Congress of Rheumatology. 2016, London, UK: BMJ Publishing Group.
• 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, Isaacs J, Thompson B. Restoring or Threatening a Normal Life: Withdrawing Medication from Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis in Remission. In: 2015 British Society of Rheumatology Annual Conference. 2015, Manchester, UK: Oxford University Press.
• Baker KF, Isaacs JD. Prospects for therapeutic tolerance in humans. Current Opinion in Rheumatology 2014, 26(2), 219-227.
• Baker K, Jandial S, Foster H, Walker D, Taylor K, Thompson B. The Impact of Educational Resources on Adult and Paediatric Musculoskeletal Examination: A UK Survey. In: Rheumatology 2014. 2014, Liverpool, UK: Oxford University Press.
• Xu W, Baker K, Reavley R, Oates E, Aspray T. Reducing the risk of hypocalcaemia with parenteral antiresorptive therapies: an audit. In: 2013 European Calcified Tissue Society Congress. Bone abstracts; 1: PP441. 2013.
• 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.
• Baker K, Bakr M, El-Khayat B, Magliano M. Gout management in secondary care: an audit. In: 2009 British Society of Rheumatology Annual Conference. Rheumatology; 48(Suppl 1): i148. 2009.