Rate My Professor Michael Simpson

Professor Michael Simpson is Professor of Genetics and Head of the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics in the School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine at King’s College London. He leads the Genomic Medicine Group, which studies genetic variation in human disease with a focus on skin conditions, spanning rare Mendelian disorders and common complex traits such as psoriasis and acne. The group combines large-scale sequencing and genotyping with statistical and computational methods to identify causal variants, elucidate mechanisms, and translate findings into diagnostics and treatments. Simpson co-leads the international Skin Genetics Consortium. Originally trained as a pharmacologist, he studied Human Molecular Genetics at Imperial College and completed his PhD at St George’s University of London on the genetic basis of recessive disorders in Old Order Amish populations. He joined King’s College London in 2009, directing a rare disease exome sequencing programme that identified more than thirty novel genetic causes of Mendelian disorders, including Hajdu-Cheney syndrome, Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome, and GATA2-associated lymphedema-AML. From 2014 to 2021, he worked at Genomics plc as its third employee and a senior leadership team member, serving as Co-Head of Science, Head of Human Genetics, and Director of Therapeutics Research, where he helped grow the company to over 100 staff and developed core technologies for therapeutic target discovery.

Returning full-time to King’s in 2021 and appointed Head of Department in 2023, Simpson leads the Statistical and Computational Genetics and Genomics research interest group, participates in the leadership of the King’s Prize Doctoral Programme in Genome Data Science and AI for Therapeutic Target Discovery, and serves as Senior Responsible Owner for Research and Innovation for the NHS South East Genomic Medicine Service Alliance. As principal investigator, he has secured funding from the Medical Research Council for projects including characterisation of gene-environment interactions in acne vulgaris and the interplay of early environment and rare genetic variation in developmental disorders. His research outputs total 195, with over 14,000 citations. Key publications include 'GWAS meta-analysis of psoriasis identifies new susceptibility alleles impacting disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets' (2025, Nature Communications), 'Genetic liability to psoriasis predicts severe disease outcomes' (2025, Genome Medicine), and 'GWAS Meta-Analysis Identifies Susceptibility Loci for Keloids and Hypertrophic Scarring in Europeans' (2025, Journal of Investigative Dermatology). Simpson’s contributions advance genomic approaches to skin disease genetics and therapeutic development.