Simon Thomson is a professor of hybrid learning at the University of Manchester, with a research interest in mixed-modal education and a particular focus on understanding the value of modes in the context of hybrid learning. Professor Thomson was awarded an Advance HE national teaching fellow in 2014 and is principal fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), Staff and Educational Devlopment Association (SEDA) accredited in embedding learning technologies and an Apple Distinguished Educator. He was previously director of the Centre for Innovation in Education at the University of Liverpool and head of digital pedagogy at Leeds Beckett University. He has a degree in theatre and music from the University of Leeds, a master’s in blended and online education from Edinburgh Napier University and a PhD from Lancaster University.