Professor Simon Croft

Simon Croft is Professor of Parasitology in the Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). He has worked on the discovery and development of anti-infective drugs for over 35 years in academia, industry and with public-private partnerships (PPPs). His expertise and knowledge on antimicrobial and antiprotozoal chemotherapy was developed whilst working for the Wellcome Research Laboratories, Beckenham, UK and, following his return to academia, on projects funded by WHO, EU, MRC, Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and the Gates Foundation. Simon’s research has focussed on the identification and evaluation of novel drugs and formulations for the treatment of leishmaniasis, malaria, human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) and American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease), including projects on miltefosine, AmBisome and topical paromomycin, all of which reached clinical trials for the treatment of leishmaniasis. His work on anti-malarials included several MMV supported discovery and pre-clinical projects. Current research interests include PK PD relationships, predictive models for drugs and vaccines, topical formulations and drug resistance. He works extensively with industry and PDPs on Neglected Infectious Diseases and with a network of collaborators in disease endemic countries. From 2004 to 2007 Simon was the first R & D Director of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), Geneva and from 2008 to 2014 he was Dean of Faculty at the LSHTM.

Current research programmes on antileishmanial and antitrypanosomal drug identification, evaluation and development are supported by MRC, Gates Foundation, GSK Open Lab Foundation and DNDi. One major research focus is on PK PD relationships and the development of predictive models, and another on improved pharmaceutical formulations. Projects on topical formulations for the cutaneous leishmaniases are supported from a number of sources.