Simons is a philanthropist and advocate focused on funding basic science research. A co-founder of the Simons Foundation, she serves as a co-chair of the foundation’s board of trustees. Simons actively supports STEM research, education and outreach. Since 2019, she has served as chair of the board of trustees of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and has been a member of the Lab’s board since 2008. Simons also serves on the boards of the National Museum of Mathematics and the Turkana Basin Institute.In 2014 Simons founded the Stony Brook Women’s Leadership Council, a mentoring program for outstanding undergraduate women at Stony Brook University, where she serves as the Council’s chair. In addition, Simons is active in supporting K–12 education for underserved communities. She is a member of the board of trustees of the LearningSpring School, a school for children diagnosed on the autism spectrum as well as the East Harlem Scholars Academies in New York City. With her husband, Jim, Simons oversees the philanthropic work of the MJS Foundation, a private family foundation in New York. Simons received a B.A. and Ph.D. in economics from the State University of NY.
