Dr. Sidney A. Simon is a professor of neurobiology, biomedical engineering, and anesthesiology at Duke University. Dr. Simon received his B.S. in physics at IIT, and his Ph.D. in materials science at Northwestern University.

Dr. Simon's laboratory studies the interaction of chemical stimuli with cultured and intact trigeminal ganglion neurons and taste receptor cells in culture, in anesthetized and in awake behaving animals. The Simon Laboratory investigates how chemicals that are either bitter and/or irritating (e.g., nicotine, capsaicin, colloidal particles) interact with particular types of receptors (e.g. nicotinic acetylcholine receptors or vanilloid receptors) to produce a bitter or irritating or painful sensation. Further, Dr. Simon studies how these compounds evoke responses in various cortical regions (e.g. the insular cortex). The overall goal of his research is to obtain an understanding of the events from the molecular to the behavioral levels that underlie gustatory and irritating sensations produced by chemical stimuli.

Dr. Simon has authored over 170 refereed manuscripts and 23 book chapters. In addition, he has served as an editor for numerous neuroscience publications, including books and journals.