Simon Ball is currently a Senior Science Advisor (interim) to HDR UK. Alongside this, he is the Senior Responsible Owner for the West Midlands Secure Data Environment, based at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB), where he also serves as a consultant nephrologist. He is an honorary Professor at the University of Birmingham and leads Birmingham Health Partners data theme.
In 2018, Simon played a key role in establishing Health Data Research UK Midlands, laying the groundwork for collaborative clinical and data science communities across the East and West Midlands. From 2018 to 2023, he served as HDR UK’s national research director for the Better Care scientific theme.
Appointed to UHB in 2001, Simon subsequently held various clinical and digital leadership roles, including Associate Medical Director for digital systems from 2012 to 2018 and Chief Medical Officer from 2019 to 2024. He also served as President of the British Renal Society from 2013 to 2016.
Simon trained at Oxford University, UCL, and Imperial College London. He has had wide ranging involvement in discovery and implementation science, collaborating with many NHS, academic and industry partners. His interest in understanding and using healthcare data arose from longstanding contributions to the development and implementation of electronic health care records, particularly to improve the quality and effectiveness of patient care. His current roles focus on building the technology and infrastructure needed to seamlessly support both clinical care and research.
