Simon C. Cork

Biography

Dr Simon C. Cork is a research scientist with a specialist interest in obesity, and the regulation of food intake. He graduated from Stephenson College, Durham University with a degree in Biomedical Science. This was then followed by a PhD at Durham (St Aidan's College) investigating the central control of sympathetic outflow from the hypothalamus. During this research, he discovered that hypertension was associated with significant changes in inhibitory receptors, which likely contribute to the increased sympathetic tone associated with hypertension, providing a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of this disease (Cork et al, 2016; Neuro Letts). Following his PhD, Dr Cork then moved to the laboratory of Dr Stefan Trapp at the Centre for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Neuroscience, University College London where he investigated the role of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and GLP-1 receptors in the brain, and their control of food intake and metabolism. During this work, he provided direct evidence for first time, of functional GLP-1 receptors in the hippocampus, as well as providing functional evidence of the neuromodulatory effect of GLP-1 on GLP-1 receptor bearing cells in various brain regions involved in metabolic and reward control (Cork et al, 2015; Mol Metab). Dr Cork was also involved in work to develop a new class of sulfonylureas for the treatment of diabetes, which are active only in the presence of light (Broichhagen, Schönberger, Cork et al, 2015, Nature Comms). Presently, he has joined the laboratory of Prof Sir Stephen Bloom FRS, on the i2MOVE project; a collaboration with Prof Christofer Toumazou FRS in the Department of Engineering. Using a combination of in vivo electrophysiology and chemical sensing, this project focuses on the development of novel methods to record peripheral nerve activity, and the incorporation of such technologies into closed-loop vagal nerve stimulating devices for the treatment of obesity. Furthermore, Dr Cork is also involved in other projects investigating the role of vagal afferent nerves in the regulation of food intake.

Research Interest

Biomedical Sciences