Donald Simone, PhD

Dr. Donald A. Simone is Professor and Chair of the Department of Diagnostic and Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota. He also holds appointments in the Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry. Dr. Simone earned a Ph.D. degree from the City University of New York with emphasis on behavioral pharmacology, and completed post-doctoral training in psychophysics and neurophysiology from the Department of Anesthesiology at Yale Medical School.

Dr. Simone's primary interest is the neural encoding of pain and hyperalgesia. He compares behavioral and psychophysical measures of sensation to elelctrophysiological responses of single neurons located in peripheral nerve or spinal cord. He is currently using this combined behavioral/physiological approach to study the mechanisms by which cancer cells interact with neurons to produce pain. Dr. Simone also studies pharmacological modulation of pain using similar approaches. He is presently investigating how cannabinoids diminish pain and hyperalgesia with particular emphasis on the peripheral nervous system. Dr. Simone is also interested in the use of sensory testing for the detection of peripheral neuropathy in humans. He is currently developing new and sensitive sensory tests so that neuropathy can be detected in early stages of disease.

CoursesNSCI 6110: Neuroscience for Dental Students (Spring semester)

Post-doctoral Fellow, Anesthesiology, Fellowship
Yale University School of Medicine

Award: Treatment of cancer pain by lipid mediator Resolvin D1:
Principal Investigator: Khasabov, Serhii
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE (NCI)
Award Dates: 2021 - 2026

Award: Sensory Function and Chronic Pain in Cerebral Palsy
Principal Investigator: Symons, Frank J
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NAT'L INST OF CHILD HEALTH/HUMAN DEV
Award Dates: 2021 - 2026

Award: Sensory Function and Chronic Pain in Cerebral Palsy
Principal Investigator: Symons, Frank J
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NAT'L INST OF CHILD HEALTH/HUMAN DEV
Award Dates: 2021 - 2026

Award: Contribution of endocannabinoid signaling to the antihyp
Principal Investigator: Simone, Donald A
Sponsoring Organization: INT'L ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF PAIN
Award Dates: 2019 - 2021

Award: Neural Mechanisms of Cancer Pain
Principal Investigator: Simone, Donald A
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE (NCI)
Award Dates: 2019 - 2024

Award: The Bumps, a device for rapid, non invasive quantification
Principal Investigator: Simone, Donald A
Sponsoring Organization: Neuro Devices, Inc.
Award Dates: 2019 - 2022

Award: Hyperalgesia following activation of Nav1.8 ion channels
Principal Investigator: Simone, Donald A
Sponsoring Organization: MERCK
Award Dates: 2018 - 2020

Award: Cannabinoid Modulation of Hyperalgesia
Principal Investigator: Simone, Donald A
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NAT'L HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD INSTITU
Award Dates: 2016 - 2021

Award: Neuroimmune approaches to retrovirus infection-induced n
Principal Investigator: Lokensgard, James Robert
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NIDA NATL INST ON DRUG AB
Award Dates: 2016 - 2022

Award: Neuroimmune approaches to retrovirus infection-induced n
Principal Investigator: Lokensgard, James Robert
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NIDA NATL INST ON DRUG AB
Award Dates: 2016 - 2022

Award: Cannabinoid-based therapy and approaches to quantify pai
Principal Investigator: Gupta, Kalpna
Sponsoring Organization: NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH)
Award Dates: 2016 - 2019

Award: Cannabinoid-based therapy and approaches to quantify pai
Principal Investigator: Gupta, Kalpna
Sponsoring Organization: NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH)
Award Dates: 2016 - 2019

Award: Thalamic and Cortical Mechanisms of Itch
Principal Investigator: Giesler, Glenn J
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NAT INST OF NEURO DISORDERS & STROKE
Award Dates: 2015 - 2018

Award: Cannabinoid-based therapy and approaches to quantify pai
Principal Investigator: Gupta, Kalpna
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NAT'L HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD INSTITU
Award Dates: 2013 - 2016

Award: Cannabinoid-based therapy and approaches to quantify pai
Principal Investigator: Gupta, Kalpna
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NAT'L HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD INSTITU
Award Dates: 2013 - 2016

Award: Characteristics and mechanisms of pain in sickle cell di
Principal Investigator: Gupta, Kalpna
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NAT'L HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD INSTITU
Award Dates: 2010 - 2016

Award: Characteristics and mechanisms of pain in sickle cell di
Principal Investigator: Gupta, Kalpna
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NAT'L HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD INSTITU
Award Dates: 2010 - 2016

Award: Functional Interactions between Cancer Cells and Sensory
Principal Investigator: Simone, Donald A
Sponsoring Organization: NIH FIC JOHN E FOGARTY INTL CT
Award Dates: 2010 - 2015

Award: A new device for rapid measurement of touch sensation in
Principal Investigator: Simone, Donald A
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NAT INST OF NEURO DISORDERS & STROKE
Award Dates: 2009 - 2012

Award: A new device for rapid measurement of touch sensation in
Principal Investigator: Simone, Donald A
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NAT INST OF NEURO DISORDERS & STROKE
Award Dates: 2009 - 2012

Award: Pharmacological Modulation of Nociceptors
Principal Investigator: Simone, Donald A
Sponsoring Organization: AMGEN INC
Award Dates: 2009 - 2010

Award: Role of Medullary Substance P in Acute and Persistent No
Principal Investigator: Simone, Donald A
Sponsoring Organization: THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
Award Dates: 2008 - 2012

Award: Mechanisms of Cancer Therapy-Induced Pain (project 3)
Principal Investigator: Simone, Donald A
Sponsoring Organization: UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
Award Dates: 2008 - 2014

Award: NEURAL MECHANISMS OF CANCER PAIN
Principal Investigator: Simone, Donald A
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE (NCI)
Award Dates: 2001 - 2013

Award: Cannabinoid Modulation of Hyperalgesia
Principal Investigator: Simone, Donald A
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NIDA NATL INST ON DRUG AB
Award Dates: 2000 - 2016

Award: Cannabinoid Modulation of Hyperalgesia
Principal Investigator: Simone, Donald A
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NIDA NATL INST ON DRUG AB
Award Dates: 2000 - 2002