Anne Simon

{{Short description|American biologist}}

{{about||the Guernsey lawn bowler|Anne Simon (bowls)}}

Anne Simon is an American biology professor, scientist, and a science advisor on the American television series The X-Files, for both the original nine season run and the 2016 revival. The first episode of the original series that she provided science consultation on was the first-season finale "The Erlenmeyer Flask", which was telecast on May 13, 1994. She became involved with the series through her connection as a family friend of series creator Chris Carter. She wrote a 2001 book about the biological science of the show, The Real Science Behind the X-Files: Microbes, Meteorites and Mutants ({{ISBN|0-684-85618-2}}).{{cite web|url = http://wtop.com/tv/2015/07/umd-professor-provides-science-behind-x-files/|title = U.Md. professor provides the science behind 'The X-Files'|last = Forzato|first = Jamie|date = July 30, 2015|website = wtop.com|publisher = WTOP/Washington's Top News|accessdate = August 2, 2015|quote = Anne Simon, a plant virologist at the University of Maryland, has been the science adviser for “The X-Files” almost since the beginning. She’s excited about the revival, which she’s also worked on.}}

Her father is screenwriter and playwright Mayo Simon, and her sister is Horrid Henry author Francesca Simon.{{cite web |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/meet-the-scientist-behind-the-return-of-the-x-files-to-television/2015/08/09/e983fc40-3bba-11e5-9c2d-ed991d848c48_story.html |title = Meet the scientist behind the return of 'The X-Files' to television |last = McCoy |first = Terrence |date = August 9, 2015|newspaper = The Washington Post |accessdate = August 11, 2015 |quote = Her dad, Mayo Simon, was a Hollywood scriptwriter. He penned some prominent sci-fi offerings — 'Marooned,' 'Futureworld' and 'Man from Atlantis' — when she was a child living in Southern California.}} She received her BA in biology (magna cum laude) from the University of California San Diego in 1978 and her PhD in genetics from Indiana University in 1982.{{cite web |url=http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/fcb611_5d2b85dd9c6f46f585f1bac336172c6a.pdf |title=CV|website=docs.wixstatic.com}}

Simon's primary research is on virus replication and symptom expression using the model virus, Turnip crinkle virus. She is a professor at the University of Maryland, College Park in the Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics. Dr. Simon also heads the Virology Program at UMd, and is a senior editor of Journal of Virology.