Simon Herrington graduated in biochemistry with honours from the University of Cambridge in 1982 and medicine with honours from the University of London in 1985. He trained in Internal Medicine (MRCP 1988) and then became a CRC clinical research fellow in the Nuffield Department of Pathology, University of Oxford, receiving his DPhil in 1991. He was appointed clinical lecturer in pathology in Oxford where he completed his training in clinical cellular pathology, gaining the MRCPath in 1994. He was appointed clinical senior lecturer and consultant in pathology at the University of Liverpool in 1995 and was promoted to a Personal Chair in 1999. In 2003, he was appointed to the Chair of Pathology at the University of St Andrews, moving to the Chair of Pathology at the University of Dundee in 2010 and the Chair of Molecular Cancer Pathology at the University of Edinburgh in 2015. He also works as a consultant pathologist, specialising in gynaecological pathology, was co-editor of the 4th Edition of the WHO Classification of Tumours of Female Reproductive Organs and edited the 15th Edition of Muir’s Textbook of Pathology. He sits on the Board of Worldwide Cancer Research and is a past President of the International Society of Gynecological Pathologists. He is Editor in Chief of the Journal of Pathology and the Journal of Pathology: Clinical Research.

 My main research focus is the pathogenesis of anogenital epithelial neoplasia and how improved understanding of the mechanisms involved can be used to improve disease diagnosis. This involves both analysis of the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in epithelial neoplasia, particularly of the female genital tract, and the development of optical imaging for the early detection of epithelial neoplasia. I have a long-standing optical imaging collaboration with the School of Physics and Astronomy in St Andrews, which focuses on technology that can discriminate between normal and neoplastic cells and tissues. I am part of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and MRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Optical Imaging (OPTIMA), through which I have a collaboration with Strathclyde University, and I am also working with Edinburgh Medical Imaging. These collaborations all aim to develop novel optical approaches to cancer diagnosis. I am also part of the ovarian cancer research group (Prof Charlie Gourley), with current projects including the molecular investigation of high-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary and the characterization of endometrioid ovarian carcinoma.  I am Editor in Chief of The Journal of Pathology.