Dr Simon King

Simon is a postdoctoral research scientist in the Vector Ecology group. He helps to run the Culicoides reference laboratory surveillance scheme across the UK alongside conducting research into the behaviour and physiology of Culicoides, utilising both field-caught and colony reared species.

During his time at the Institute, he has also worked as a postdoctoral scientist in the Non-Vesicular Reference Laboratory conducting research into orbivirus diagnostics and sequencing. As well as this, he was responsible for obtaining full genome sequences of Rinderpest virus isolates kept at the Institute prior to their destruction (the Rinderpest Sequence & Destroy project) as part of the WOAH-FAO post-eradication activities.

Prior to joining the Institute, Simon obtained a BSc in Microbiology followed by a PhD in Virology at the Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool. His thesis focused on the genetic variation of hepatitis C virus, utilising both Sanger sequencing and next generation sequencing techniques to explore the prevalence of drug resistance mutations in treatment-naïve patients.