Mark Verrill studied Medicine at the University of Cambridge and University College London, qualifying in 1989. He was awarded Membership of the Royal College of Physicians in 1993 and Fellowship in 2003. He undertook oncology Training at the Royal Marsden Hospital and institute of Cancer Research, London. He was appointed Cancer Research UK Senior Lecturer in Medical Oncology at Newcastle University and Honorary Consultant Medical Oncologist in the Newcastle Hospitals Trust in 1999. He moved in to his current NHS post in 2007. He is internationally respected for his clinical trials work in breast cancer and regarded as a "key opinion leader" with multiple publications in high impact peer reviewed journals. He has lectured on breast cancer all over the world.