Simon Hirst
Sygnature Discovery

Becoming a medicinal chemist for a top tier global pharmaceutical company is no mean feat. However, that is where it all started for Simon Hirst. Now, he’s leading a world-class drug discovery business, Sygnature Discovery, which is making a difference to patient outcomes around the globe.

The Phoenix team were genuinely engaged, and they truly appreciated the value of our culture – which is ultimately what makes our business successful.

Simon Hirst’s story

Becoming a medicinal chemist for a top tier global pharmaceutical company is no mean feat. However, that is where it all started for Simon Hirst. Now, he’s leading a world-class drug discovery business, Sygnature Discovery, which is making a difference to patient outcomes around the globe.

From lab bench to leading a new business

After obtaining his BSc and PhD from the University of Nottingham, Hirst undertook post-doctoral research at the University of Pittsburgh and started his career as a medicinal chemist at AstraZeneca.

In 2004, he founded Sygnature with the aim of providing high-quality and tailored drug discovery services for clients in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors. The business soon developed a 5-star reputation for stellar science and a brilliant culture, growing its presence at its base in Nottingham and becoming a rising star of BioCity (a bioscience innovation and incubation centre).

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