Daniel L. Simmons

Daniel L. Simmons is a professor of chemistry and the director of the Cancer Research Center at Brigham Young University (BYU). He was the discoverer of the COX-2 enzyme that is the target of celecoxib (Celebrex) and other COX-2 inhibitors. He and BYU felt that Pfizer had not properly credited or paid them for Simmons work in this development and brought a suit against Pfizer.

Simmons has bachelors and masters degrees from BYU. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1986. From 1986-1989 he held a post-doctoral Fellowship at Harvard University.

Simmons discovered the COX-2 and COX-3 enzymes.