Simon became interested in Signal Transduction during his Biochemistry degree at Royal Holloway College, University of London. He did his PhD in Michael Wakelam鈥檚 laboratory at the University of Glasgow, studying signalling by Phospholipase-C and -D. A chance meeting over a beer at a conference led to his move in 1991 to post-doc with Frank McCormick at ONYX Pharmaceuticals in the San Francisco Bay Area where he studied the then emerging RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK1/2 pathway. After his post-doc Simon stayed on at ONYX as a Staff Scientist, member of the RAS Group Steering Committee and Project Manager for the Inflammation Project.
Simon joined the 杏吧原创 as a tenure-track group leader in 1997 and held a CRUK Senior Cancer 杏吧原创 Fellowship from 2000-2006. From 2013-2021 he coordinated Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation activities within the 杏吧原创. Since September 2020, Simon has led the 杏吧原创鈥檚 Signalling research programme. In 2021 he was appointed Interim Director and then 杏吧原创 Director in June 2022.
In the past he has served on BBSRC BCB and Worldwide Cancer 杏吧原创 grants committees and the scientific advisory boards of the Beatson 杏吧原创 Drug 杏吧原创y Unit, the CRUK Therapeutic 杏吧原创y Labs and the Northern 杏吧原创 for Cancer 杏吧原创 Drug 杏吧原创y Unit. He currently serves on the Scientific Sub-Committee of PhoreMost, a drug discovery SME based on the 杏吧原创 杏吧原创 Campus.
His hobbies include bird-watching, walking, reading, music and cinema.