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Gregory C. Simon is President of FasterCures / The Center for Accelerating Medical Solutions. He joined in July 2003 to head the new Center, which will examine the entire medical research process in an effort to accelerate the finding of treatments and cures for some of our most deadly and debilitating diseases. The Center is based in Washington, D.C.Prior to joining FasterCures, Simon was a Principal at Infotech Strategies, a Washington, D.C. consulting firm with special expertise in health technology, biotech, education technology and communication technology. Earlier, he was CEO of Simon Strategies/Mindbeam, a consulting firm focusing on clients in biotechnology, health care, technology and information technology among other issues. In 2000, Simon was invited by the State Department under its expert program to visit government officials and citizens groups throughout the European Union to discuss the development of biotechnology regulation in the United States.Simon’s consulting work has included genomics research, blood safety, biomedical ethics, chronic disease management and immunotherapeutics. In January 1999, Simon and Rich Bond, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, formed the openNET Coalition to promote the rights of all consumers to obtain affordable, high-speed access to the Internet from the provider of their choice. Simon was the chief domestic advisor to Vice President Al Gore from 1993 to 1997, specifically on economic, science and technology issues. He oversaw a number of initiatives, including the programs of the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Federal Drug Administration and the Human Genome Project, and the development of the regulatory framework for biotechnology products.He played a leading role in a variety of White House policies and programs including passage of the Telecommunications Reform Act of 1996; encouraging the development a V-chip-compatible system of television ratings; the space program, particularly the building of the International Space Station; and FDA reform.Prior to work in the White House, Simon served on Gore’s Senate staff as legislative director, and as staff director of the Investigations Subcommittee of the House of Representatives’ Science, Space and Technology Committee.His many presentations include addresses to:the Convergencia Democratica de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain on Global Neighborhood: The Role of Local Culture in the Information Society; the Shobi World Forum in Tokyo, Japan regarding The Social and Cultural Implications of the Internet; and the Schwarzenbergplatz Forum in Vienna, Austria at the 3rd annual Viennese Congress for Culture on the topic of Education, Culture and Labor in the Multimedia-Society.Simon received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas and his law degree from the University of Washington. He lives in Bethesda, Md., with his wife, Margo Reid, a documentary film producer, and their two children. | 