Dr. Simon earned his medical degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he also completed his residency training. He completed a fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology at the Wills Eye Institute and served as a National Children’s Eye Care Foundation Fellow.

He served as chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at Albany Medical College for 28 years and holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Pediatrics. He has published over 200 papers on a variety of topics in pediatric ophthalmology. His book, A Child's Eyes, was named the best medical book of the year by the American Medical Writers Association.

A past president of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, Dr. Simon is also a member of the prestigious American Ophthalmological Society.