Dr. Simon Clark

Biography

Simon obtained his B.Sc. in Biochemistry (with Immunology) from the University of Aberdeen in 2002 and spent a year working in the industry developing diagnostic tests for cardiovascular disease. In 2003, Simon matriculated at Oxford to begin D.Phil. studies investigating the interaction of complement factor H (FH), an innate immune regulator, with endogenous sugar molecules. His research at Oxford described the biochemical effects of genetic polymorphisms of FH associated with the development of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in the western world. In 2006, he moved to the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Manchester to study further regulation of innate immunity and identified sugar molecules that FH binds to in Bruch’s membrane, a site of AMD pathogenesis. In 2013, Simon was awarded an MRC Career Development Fellowship and moved to the Faculty of Medicine and Human Sciences at the University of Manchester. His work significantly changed the design and delivery of complement-mediated therapeutics for retinal degenerative diseases. In 2019, Simon was awarded the Helmut Ecker Endowed Professorship at Tübingen University, where he leads research on molecular mechanisms driving Age-related Macular Degeneration and develops therapeutics to treat this devastating disease. Simon is actively involved in clinical development at his spin-out company, Complement Therapeutics, which has raised substantial funding for innovative treatments for age-related macular degeneration.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards