Congratulations: Professor Simon Croft to receive honorary degree

By on

Category: Awards and acknowledgements

Great news: Professor Simon Croft, Professor of Parasitology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the chair of our International Advisory Panel, is to be awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science from Durham University in 2022.  This award is in recognition of his outstanding achievements in NTDs research, including his work on kinetoplastids and other parasites. We offer Simon our congratulations and heartfelt thanks for his ongoing support of our project!
Simon’s long and distinguished career has focussed on the discovery and development of anti-infectives for the treatment of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) including leishmaniasis, malaria, human African trypanosomiasis and Chagas disease.  His research approach has highlighted the importance of chemical validation of potential drug targets, and the challenge of delivering potential anti-infective drugs to reach the pathogen within host cells and tissues and exert the appropriate pharmacodynamic effect at these subcellular locations.
Simon’s specialisms include pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drug compounds, development of topical formulations, devising predictive models for drugs and vaccines in leishmaniasis control programmes.  Amongst his most important work are influential studies of the PK/PD relationships of liposomal amphotericin B, miltefosine, and topical paromomycin for the treatment of leishmaniasis, taken forwards with long-term collaborative partnerships in academia and industry worldwide, particularly in Asia.
On a more personal level, Simon has been a friend and mentor of the NTD Network from the very start, and was present with us to celebrate the project launch in January 2018.  He is the driving force behind our committed and actively participatory IAG panel, whose support and encouragement have been invaluable in discussions informing our strategic research programme, and for helping us to stay motivated through the challenges of our COVID-weary times.

Professor Simon Croft and members of the Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, at a ‘Burns Night’ celebration at the project launch in Durham, January 25th, 2018 Image: Ehmke Pohl.

The University of Durham will confer Simon an honorary degree in 2022.  We hold the hope that by then, travel restrictions will have eased, and our Network members can gather and connect with him and our other IAG members in person!