See more COVID-19 Research Symposium Speakers

Alex Simas is a postdoctoral fellow with cross-disciplinary expertise in data science, microbiology, immunology, and neuroscience. Dr. Simas earned her both her PhD and MS in Biochemical & Molecular Nutrition from Tufts University and her BA in Neuroscience from Wellesley College. Prior to the Friedman School, Dr. Simas studied rare neurodegenerative diseases in the Center for Human Genetic Research at Massachusetts General Hospital. She developed databases and visualization tools for clinical testing and academic research, working with affected families and researchers to expand understanding of lysosomal storage diseases. As a Stanley N. Gershoff Scholar at the Friedman School, her PhD research focused on investigating the influence of periodontal disease on the microbiome and on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. She is currently working with Dr. Caroline Genco to apply this research on the oral microbiome to other diseases ranging from Alzheimer’s Disease to COVID-19. Dr. Simas is passionate about improving and personalizing health by leveraging the microbiome, nutrition, and genetics.

For more information, please click here.