James W. Simpkins received his Ph.D. degree under the mentorship of the pioneering neuroendocrinologist, Joseph Meites at Michigan State University in 1977. He then jointed the University of Florida when he rose through the academic ranks to a full professorship in 1986. At the University of Florida, he was the founding director of the Center for the Neurobiology of Aging, served as Chair of two departments and was appointed the Frank Duckworth Professor of Drug Discovery in 1996. In 2000, he became the Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience and Founding Director of the Institute for Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Research at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. In 2012, he joined the faculty of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology of West Virginia University and serves as the Founding Director of the Center for Basic and Translational Stroke Research. In 2012, he received the Harman Award for Life-time Achievement for Aging Research from the American Association of Aging. In 2015, he was named the Highland Chair of Stroke/Neurology at the WVU. The author of 420 full length publications, his research has focus on the discovery of novel compounds for the treatment of age-related brain disorders, with a particular focus on Alzheimer’s disease and stroke. His body of research has resulted in 22 issued US and foreign patents. He has mentored numerous PhD students, post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty to research and career success at the University of Florida, the University of North Texas Health Science Center and continued to do so at the West Virginia University.