Dr Simon C. Cork

Dr Simon Cork is a physiologist and medical educator with specialist interests in appetite regulation, obesity, medical education, and widening access to medicine. He is nationally recognised for his work in fair access to higher education and has led the development of several sector-leading initiatives designed to widen participation in medicine and improve social mobility within the profession.

He currently serves as co-chair of the Medical Schools Council Selection Alliance and is a board member and trustee of the UCAT Consortium, contributing to national policy and strategy relating to equitable selection into medicine. In recognition of his work promoting fair access, he has been awarded The Physiological Society Widening Participation Prize Lecture, alongside two Vice Chancellor’s Awards.

As a research scientist, Dr Cork’s work focuses on the physiology of appetite and body weight regulation, with particular expertise in gut hormones including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). His research explores the mechanisms through which anti-obesity medications exert their effects and the wider physiological regulation of metabolism and energy balance.

Alongside his academic work, he is a sought-after science communicator and commentator on obesity and metabolic health. He has appeared across a wide range of national and international media, including the BBC, The New York Times, The Guardian and Channel 4, and has featured in several television documentaries. He has also spoken at events including the Cheltenham Science Festival, SXSW London, Chelmsford Science Festival, and the New Scientist Masterclass series, presenting physiological research to both public and professional audiences.

• Obesity physiology and treatment
• Widening participation

• Inequalities in access to higher education
• Obesity pharmacotherapy
• Physiology of body weight regulation

Medicine (MBChB)

• BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science, University of Durham (2008)
• PhD, Neurophysiology, University of Durham (2013)
• PGCert, Clinical Education, King's College London (2020)

• Physiological Society
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Co-Chair, Medical Schools Council Selection Alliance
• UCAT (Board member and Trustee)

Corcoran, E., Kettlety, M., Mogul, U., Ndiforngwah Azah, J. and Cork, S. C. (2026) 'The Effects of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists on Alzheimer's Pathophysiology: A Systematic Review', Mol Cell Neurosci, 104091. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcn.2026.104091

Peters, K., Roka, O., Sepp, E., Warburton, M., Zhang, J. and Cork, S. C. (2026) 'The long-term cardiovascular safety and efficacy of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists in high-risk cardiovascular populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis', Cardiovasc Diabetol Endocrinol Rep., 12(36). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40842-026-00295-3

Sampford, J., Myers-Ingram, R., Jones, G. D. and Cork, S. C. (2025) 'The essential role of the physiotherapist in incretin-based weight loss', Physiotherapy, 130, 101840. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2025.101840. PMID: 41273939.

Cork, S. C. and Hopcroft, K. (2025) 'Evaluating ChatGPT for Converting Clinic Letters into Patient-Friendly Language', BJGP Open. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGPO.2024.0300

Ahluwalia, S., Fenton, T., Roder, C., Spurling, L. F., Cork, S. C., Winnett, G., Ahsan, E., Johnson, J. and Bishop, P. (2024) 'The Medical Doctor (Degree) Apprenticeship', Medical Teacher, 46(12), pp. 1561-1567. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2024.2393784

Cork, S. C. and Yhnell, E. (2024) 'Reviving the Lecture: Using Visually Dynamic Approaches to Teach Physiological Concepts', Discov Educ, 3(20). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00099-6

Doggett, T., Warr, H., Johnson J. and Cork, S. C. (2024) 'Response to: "ChatGPT for assessment writing"', Medical Teacher, 46(6), pp. 857-858. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2024.2311269

Alonso A. M., Cork, S. C., Ma, Y., Arnold, M., Herzog, H., Bloom, S. R., Murphy, K. G. and Salem, V. S. (2024) 'The vagus nerve and the hypothalamus mediate different aspects of the anorectic effects of PYY3-6', Molecular metabolism, 81, 101895. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2024.101895

Cork, S. C. (2023) 'A Model for Online Delivery of Multiple Mini Interviews', Journal of medical education and curricular development,10, 23821205231183875.

Lubba, C. H., Le Guen, Y., Jarvis, S., Jones, N. S., Cork, S. C., Eftekhar, A. and Schultz, S. R. (2019) 'PyPNS: Multiscale simulation of peripheral nerve in Python', Neuroinformatics, 17, pp. 63-81.

Cork, S. C. (2018) 'The role of the vagus nerve in appetite control: implications for obesity pathogenesis', J Neuroendocrinol., e12643.

Cork, S. C., Eftekhar, A., Mirza, K. B., Zuliani, C., Nikolic, K., Gardiner, J. V., Bloom, S. R. and Toumazou, C. (2017) 'Extracellular pH monitoring for use in closed-loop vagal nerve stimulation', J Neural Eng, 15, 016001.

Mirza, K. B., Wildner, K., Kulasekeram, N., Cork, S. C., Bloom, S. R., Nikolic, K. and Toumazou, C. (2017) 'Platform for closed-loop neuromodulation based on dual mode biosignals', bioRxiv, 163329.

Cork, S. C., Chazot. P. L. and Pyner, S. (2016) 'Altered GABAA α5 subunit expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of hypertensive and pregnant rats', Neurosci Lett., 620, pp. 148-153.

Cork, S. C., Richards, J. E., Holt, M. K., Gribble, F. M., Reimann, F. and Trapp, S. (2015) 'Distribution and characterisation of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor expressing cells in the mouse brain', Mol Metab., 4(10), pp. 718-731.

Trapp, S. and Cork, S. C. (2015) 'PPG neurons of the lower brainstem and their role in brain GLP-1 receptor activation', Am J Physiol Reg Int & Comp Physiol., 309(8), R795-804.

Wells, J. A., Christie, I. N., Hosford, P. S., Vihko, P., Cork, S. C., Kasparov, S., Lythgoe, M. F. and Gourine, A. V. (2015) 'A critical role for purinergic signalling in the mechanisms underlying generation of BOLD fMRI responses', J Neurosci., 35(13), pp. 5284-5292.

Broichagen, J., Schonberger, M., Cork, S. C., Frank, J. A., Marchetii, P., Bugliani, M., Shapiro, A. M. J., Trapp, S, Rutter, G. A., Hodson, D. J. and Trauner, D. (2014) 'Optical control of insulin release using a photoswitchable sulfonylurea', Nature Communications, 5, pp. 5116.

Richards, P., Parker, H. E., Adriaenssens, A. E., Hodgson, J. M., Cork, S. C., Trapp, S., Gribble, F. M. and Reimann, F. (2013) 'Identification and Characterization of GLP-1 Receptor–Expressing Cells Using a New Transgenic Mouse Model', Diabetes, 63(4), pp. 1224-1233.

Watkins, N. D., Cork, S. C. and Pyner, S. (2009) 'An Immunohistochemical investigation of the relationship between neuronal nitric oxide synthase, GABA and presympathetic paraventricular neurons in the hypothalamus, Neuroscience, 159(3), pp. 1079-88.

June 2025, Invited Panellist, Cheltenham Science Festival – Weight loss or Wonder Drug?

June 2025, Invited Panellist, SXSWLondon – Ozempic: Society’s Saviour or Saboteur?

July 2023, Keynote Speaker, New Scientist Live Masterclass – New Obesity Drugs: What’s the evidence? London.

Dr Cork has extensive experience of communicating with journalists on a wide range of topics, most notably the use of GLP-1 analogues (e.g. semaglutide) for the treatment of obesity. He has appeared on major TV and radio networks, including BBC, ITV, Channel 4, LBC, Times Radio, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4 and has been quoted in major UK and international newspapers, including The Guardian, Telegraph, Daily Mail, New York Times, Reuters and New Scientist. For media enquiries please contact the media team on the link above.