Originally from Birmingham, Dr. Sims received his B.S. from UAB in Biology. He earned an M.D. and Ph.D in Cell Biology at University of Alabama School of Medicine in 2000 before moving to Washington University-St. Louis for his Pediatric residency. While there he was one of the first in the country accepted into the American Academy of Pediatrics-Pediatric Research Pathway and did a postdoctoral fellowship in Anatomy and Neurobiology studying embryonic stem cells.