Head of Research Operations

Research Operations

Left the Unit in 2021

Work and interests

Matt Sims was Head of Research Operations and was responsible for the Department’s research operations and research governance from January 2014 until September 2021 when he left the Unit. He led five specialist research support teams that carry out data management, study coordination, field epidemiology, information technology and laboratory work.

He originally joined the department in 2004 and was responsible for establishing and running the department’s high-throughput laboratory for managing biological samples and measuring clinical and genetic biomarkers. Additionally he developed and oversaw the NIHR BRC-MRC BioRepository on behalf of joint partners within the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Addenbrooke’s, Cambridge.

Background and experience

He previously worked at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute on the C.elegans and human genome sequencing projects. In 1998 he moved to GlaxoSmithKline where he was responsible for European DNA sequencing operations, working across different phases of drug discovery from target validation through to clinical development projects.