The Simons lab invented GM-CSF genetically engineered vaccines for prostate cancer in rodents and humans for these studies, and subsequently Simons’ clinical team took the biotechnology into the world’s first human gene therapy clinical trials for advanced prostate cancer at Johns Hopkins.

[8] Before entering medical school, Simons had a concentration in the Shakespeare Canon as a Rotary International Postgraduate Fellow in the Humanities at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England; subsequently he had a Nuffield Foundation research scholarship in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge in 1981.

With Michael Milken, chairman of the board of FasterCures, Simons created the strategic plan and served as the interim chief science officer for the launch of the Melanoma Research Alliance.

[14] Simons has led the expansion of PCF’s Research Awards globally to over 800 research awards in 22 countries including $590.0 million invested in peer-reviewed funding to 240 teams of scientists working on human genetics, molecular oncology, genomic medicines, molecular imaging, and "precision immunotherapy".

[15] In total, funding from the PCF Research Enterprise has propelled 14 FDA approvals in prostate cancer.

[15] When Simons joined the Prostate Cancer Foundation in 2007, he launched the “PCF 100”, with the goal of securing support for 100 Young Investigators.

Each Young Investigator receives a three-year award and total grant amount of $225,000, which is matched dollar-for-dollar by his or her university.