David Simpson

David Simpson is Professor at Queen's University Belfast's Wellcome Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, leading research on ocular and cardiovascular diseases through advanced molecular biology approaches.

His research program spans three interconnected areas: retinal responses to ischemic conditions, microRNA regulation in disease pathways, and single-cell RNA sequencing applications. The work aims to develop novel diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions for conditions including diabetic retinopathy and inherited retinal diseases.

He directs the Faculty Genomics Core Technology Unit and is pioneering single-cell RNA sequencing to study diabetes effects on individual retinal cells. This transformative technology reveals cellular heterogeneity in pathological processes.

Honors include leading the university's 2022 Team of the Year and securing major research infrastructure funding. He regularly presents at international conferences and leads public engagement initiatives like the Northern Ireland Science Festival biomed exhibitions.

Current projects include developing blood tests for AMD progression prediction and investigating NOX4 signaling in vascular repair mechanisms.