Alexander D. Smith BSc(Hons), PhD
Assistant Professor of Teaching, Tenure Track
Dr. Smith received both a BSc(Hons) in molecular genetics and a PhD in physiology, cell, and developmental biology from the University of Alberta, with his doctoral research focusing on the use of 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 an assistant professor of teaching within 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.
Doerksen MJ, Seo D, Smith AD, Jones RS, Coughtrie MWH, Collier AC. Comparisons between human and rodent hepatic glutathione S-Transferase activities reveal sex and species differences. Xenobiotica 2023; 53(4), 223–230. doi: 10.1080/00498254.2023.2211133
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
