Alexander D. Smith BSc(Hons), PhD

Assistant Professor of Teaching, Tenure Track

Profile Type
Faculty
Accepting Graduate Students
No
About

Originally from Alberta, Dr. Smith received both a BSc(Hons) in Molecular Genetics a PhD in Physiology, Cell, and Developmental Biology from the University of Alberta. Dr. Smith’s doctoral research used applied genetics to understand, and disrupt the reproductive physiology of blood-sucking ticks.

After a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Tara Klassen at UBC, where he worked on the development of new molecular, bioinformatic, and computational tools for the better diagnosis and treatment of paediatric epilepsy, he did a second postdoc with Dr. Abby Collier working on drug metabolism and hormone recycling in prostate cancer, before accepting his current role as lecturer and lab instructor for the BPSc program.

Although he maintains an active interest in both wet lab and pedagogical research, Dr. Smith now primarily works to translate his laboratory experience into courses that will provide students with the knowledge and skills to succeed in pharmaceutical research be it in industry or academia. Dr. Smith currently teaches the lectures and/or labs for PHAR 203, PHAR 304, and PHAR 307.

Publications

Takahashi, RH, Forrest W, Smith AD, Badee J, Qiu N, Schmidt S, Collier AC, Parrott N, Fowler S Characterization of Hepatic UDP-Glucuronosyl Transferase Enzyme Abundance - Activity Correlations and Population Variability using a Proteomics Approach. Drug Metabolism and Disposition 2021; 49(9) 760-769. doi: 10.1124/dmd.121.000474

Smith AD, Page, Brent DG, Collier AC and Coughtrie MWH. Homology modeling of human UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A6 reveals insights into factors influencing substrate and co-substrate binding. ACS Omega 2020; 5(12):6872-6887. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.0c00205

Knight SJ, Smith AD, Kim H and Collier AC. Human placental suppressors of cytokine signalling (SOCS) and inflammatory cytokines are dysregulated in assisted reproduction, advanced maternal age and pre-term birth. Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics and Gynecology 2020; 47(2), 277-286. doi: 10.31083/j.ceog.2020.02.5299 (Cover image)

Price HR, Chehroudi C, Knight SJ, Smith AD, Lai D, Kim H, Wright TE, Coughtrie MWH and Collier AC. Umbilical cord as an analytical matrix – a technical note. Placenta 2020; 90:42-44. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2019.12.001
Brunklaus A, Schorge S, Smith AD, Ghanty I, Stewart K, Gardiner S, Du J, Pérez-Palma E, Symonds JD, Collier AC, Lal D, Zuberi SM. SCN1A variants from bench to bedside-improved clinical prediction from functional characterization. Human Mutation 2020; 41(2): 363-374. doi: 10.1002/humu.23943

Walia G, Smith AD, Riches Z, Collier AC, Coughtrie MWH. The Effects of UDP-sugars, UDP, and Mg2+ on uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase activity in human liver microsomes. Xenobiotica 2018; 48, 882-890. doi: 10.1080/00498254.2017.1376260


Contact Details

(604) 827-2701

alexander.smith@ubc.ca

Office 3206A, Pharmaceutical Sciences Building


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