After my PhD studies at the University of Freiburg, Germany, and postdoctoral training at Harvard I gained research experiences in academic and industrial settings. As a developmental biologist, at Northwestern, I investigate the reactivation of developmental programs as a mechanism to restore damaged or missing tissues and/or organs. At the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute I have built the Pre- and Postdoctoral Research Training Program to inspire and educate the next generation scientists.

Building And Re-Building Of Limbs And Hearts. The Simon laboratory has identified regulatory genes that play key roles in limb development in virtually all vertebrates, including humans. Surprisingly, these genes are also critical for the shaping of the heart during embryogenesis and when mutated in humans, they lead to birth defects of the arms and heart. Using zebrafish, chicken, and mouse models, the lab tries to gain a deeper understanding of common genetic pathways in limb and heart development and disease. In addition to these developmental studies, the lab is interested in discovering the genes that are involved in regenerative processes. As models for these investigations, zebrafish and newts are employed, which can regenerate limbs and heart ventricles throughout their life times. The identification of genetic pathways that are operational in these regenerating species, but not in mammals, provides new insights how to restore regenerative abilities in non-regenerating species including humans.