Dr. Richard Simon was a visionary biostatistician who served as Chief Statistician for the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis at the National Cancer Institute for nearly five decades. He joined the National Cancer Institute in 1974, establishing himself as a foundational leader in cancer biostatistics through progressively senior roles including Head of the Biostatistics and Data Management Section from 1976-1978, Chief of the Biometric Research Branch starting in 1978, and Head of the Molecular Statistics and Bioinformatics Section beginning in 2000. His career trajectory reflected the evolving landscape of cancer research, as he continually expanded his expertise to meet the statistical challenges presented by emerging technologies in genomics and molecular diagnostics. Dr. Simon's leadership provided the statistical framework for countless clinical trials and research initiatives that transformed cancer care throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Dr. Simon pioneered innovative statistical methodologies that became essential for the design and analysis of cancer clinical trials, with his extensive publication record likely setting a record for first-authored papers in the field. He provided statistical leadership for national programs spanning drug discovery, molecular diagnosis, biomedical imaging, and radiation research, ensuring rigorous methodology across the NCI's diverse portfolio. His development of bioinformatics platforms including BRB-ArrayTools and BRB-CghTools revolutionized the analysis of gene expression and copy number data, enabling researchers worldwide to extract meaningful biological insights from complex genomic datasets. These tools, freely available to the scientific community, democratized sophisticated statistical analysis and accelerated discovery in cancer genomics during a critical period of technological advancement.
Beyond his technical contributions, Dr. Simon profoundly shaped the field through mentorship, collaboration, and leadership in professional organizations, with colleagues describing him as an exceptional mentor who encouraged innovative thinking and empowered early-career researchers to pursue novel ideas. He organized seminal conferences including the Oberwolfach Conference on Molecular Biostatistics in 1999 and the Institute of Pure & Applied Mathematics Conference on Expression Arrays at UCLA in 2000, creating vital forums for interdisciplinary collaboration that advanced the entire field. His influence extended to his role in statistical review of all NCI-sponsored clinical trials and representation of NCI in data monitoring committees, where his expertise ensured scientific integrity across the national cancer research enterprise. Dr. Simon's legacy endures through the countless researchers he mentored, the statistical frameworks he established, and the bioinformatics tools that continue to support cancer research worldwide.
