Professor of Paediatrics at Imperial College London since 1993, and a Fellow of the United Kingdom’s Academy of Medical Sciences, Simon Kroll founded the Molecular Infectious Diseases Group at Imperial College, carrying out research into the molecular basis for pathogenesis of septicaemia and meningitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis and other pathogens, and the evolution of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tract microbiota in infancy and its contribution to health and disease. A current member of the UK Government’s independent advisory body, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, and past member of the Guideline Development Group for NICE clinical guideline 102 (Bacterial meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia) he is engaged in identifying practical strategies to prevent serious infection in children. He is a Trustee and Honorary Medical Director of the UK Meningitis Charity “Meningitis Now”.