Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson is an internationally recognized expert in reproductive genetics, prenatal genetic diagnosis and birth defects. Simpson was one of the college's founding faculty members, serving as the first executive associate dean for academic affairs.
A member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, Simpson is board-certified in medical genetics, and obstetrics and gynecology. He has authored over 800 articles and book chapters, including seven editions as co-editor of "Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies" and three editions of "Genetics in Obstetrics and Gynecology". His research has been funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the March of Dimes, USAID, and the Department of Defense.
He previously served as senior vice president for research and global programs at the March of Dimes, where he oversaw a $60 million prematurity research program that established six research centers to study causes of labor and preterm birth. Earlier academic leadership roles included the chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Tennessee, Memphis, and Baylor College of Medicine.
Areas of Expertise
- Obstetrics and gynecology
- Medical genetics
- Academic medicine leadership
- Research program development
Research Interests
- Reproductive genetics
- Prenatal genetic diagnosis
- Birth defects
- Preterm labor and prematurity
See research publications and more on FIU Discovery.
Honors & Awards
- Elected member, National Academy of Medicine, U.S. National Academy of Sciences
Committees & Professional Organizations
- Chair, Scientific Committee for the 23rd IFFS World Congress, Shanghai
Education
- Residency and postgraduate training, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY
- M.D., Duke University, 1968