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Biological Sciences
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(023) 8059 6701
Email:
P.J.Smith@soton.ac.uk

Professor Peter J S Smith BSc, MA, PhD, CBiol, FRSB

Director, Institute for Life Sciences (IfLS), Professor of Life Sciences,Principal Investigator Biophysics and Cell Biology,Co-Chair, University Industrial Sector Team – Health and Pharma

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Institute for Life Sciences Annual Report

Professor Smith joined Southampton University in 2011 as the first Director of the new Institute for Life Sciences. The Institute aims to catalyse interdisciplinary research working at the interfaces between medical/health and biological sciences with the physical sciences, mathematics and engineering.

Career History

2011-present: Director. Institute for Life Sciences (IfLS), University of Southampton, UK.
2011-present: Professor of Life Sciences. Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, UK..
2011-present: Whitman Investigator. Marine Biological Laboratory, University of Chicago, UK.
2013-present: Visiting Fellow, Marine Biological Association, Plymouth, UK.
2008-2011: Director. Cellular Dynamics Program, Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), USA.
2008-2011: Adjunct Professor of Engineering (Research). Brown University, RI.
2002-2008: Director. Molecular Physiology Program, MBL, USA.
1999-2011: Senior Scientist, MBL, USA.
1996-2011: Director and Principal Investigator. NIH BioCurrents Research Center, MBL.
1994-1996: Director and PI. NIH National Vibrating Probe Facility, MBL.
1992-1993: Co-Director. NIH Nat’l Vibrating Probe Facility, MBL, USA. (With L. F. Jaffe).
1992-1999: Associate Scientist. MBL, USA.
1990-1991: Senior Scientific Officer and Lab. Leader. AFRC Laboratory of Molecular Signalling, Dept. of Zoology, University of Cambridge and the Babraham Research Institute, UK.
1987-1990: Higher Scientific Officer. AFRC Unit of Insect Neurophysiology and Pharmacology, Dept. of Zoology, University of Cambridge, UK.
1986-1991: Fellow and Director of Studies in Natural Sciences. Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, UK.
1985-1987: Leverhulme Research Fellow, University of Cambridge. Dept. of Zoology, Cambridge, UK.
1982-1984: Research Associate. University of Cambridge, Dept. of Zoology, Cambridge, UK (With J. E. Treherne).
1979-1982: Research Associate. University of Manchester, UK. (With D.M. Guthrie).
1991: MA Neurosciences. University of Cambridge, UK.
1976-1979: PhD Comparative Cardiovascular Physiology. University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
1972-1976: BSc Zoology (1st Class). University of Aberdeen, UK.

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Research interests

1. Cellular metabolism, oxygen consumption and the mitochondrion

Using both molecular and electrochemical techniques this research examines the dynamics of mitochondrial function in normal and diseased cells. I am also interested in further developing micron proportioned amperometric sensors to map oxygen profiles around single identified cells.

With postdoctoral researcher Dr John Findlay.
External collaborators, Dr Kambiz Alavian (Imperial) and Prof. E. Jonas (Yale)


Doctoral Candidates


2016 Maria Strickland: Cellular metabolism and regulation of mitochondrial efficiency - healthy ageing across the life course. With primary supervisor Sylvia Pender and David Johnson (UoS: Medicine) and Anis Larbi (A*STAR)
2015 Eleni Georgiades: Characterisation of a new mitochondrial potassium channel, K2P15.1. BBSRC With Maurits De Planque (UoS: Electronic and Computing Science) and Ita O’Kelly (Enterprise).

2. Developing new super-oscillatory technology for unlabelled super-resolution cellular imaging

In collaboration with researchers in the Optoelectronics Research Centre I’m working on developing a novel method for super-resolution imaging of unlabelled living cells. The technique fuses the principles of the super-oscillating lens with an advanced form of polarised microscopy.
With postodctoral researcher Dr Edward Rogers
And investigators Prof Nikolay Zheludev (ORC), Prof John Chad, and Dr Tracey Newman (Medicine). External advisory Dr Rudolf Oldenbourg, MBL and Univ. of Chicago.
Southampton Enterprise Fund 2013 – 2016: PI £480K

3. Optical tools for ion measurement

Collaborating with chemists Richard and Linda Brown as well as Phil Bartlett we are designing activated nanoscale substrates with tethered sensors to return ion activity with nanodimension spatial information. The goal is to generate cell compatible surfaces reporting, in real time, the changes in boundary layer ion activity. We’re currently targeting hydrogen and potassium ions.


Doctoral Candidate


2014 Victor Lethuillier, Chemistry: Imaging substrates for monitoring the diffusive boundary layer of living cells. With Phil Bartlett, Richard Brown and Linda Brown (UoS: Chemistry).

4. Microenvironment regulaton in phytoplankton

Collaborating with Prof Colin Brownlee of OES and the MBA Plymouth, I contribute expertise to the critical mechanistic understanding of membrane transport, cellular regulation and key physiological processes at the single cell level along with information on the microenvironment that surrounds cells. We’re studying transport processes in phytoplankton, including the coccolithophores and their calcium carbonate deposition mechanism.

Doctoral Candidate

2016 Friedrich Kleiner, OES: The molecular mechanisms of signal transduction in unicellular algae. With primary supervisor Colin Brownlee ERC

5. Joining the Dots: From data to insight

This is an interdisciplinary programme that aims to create a powerful fusion of statistics, machine learning and topological data analysis able to deal with complex, heterogeneous, time-dependent multi-dimensional data sets. Our investigation will be informed by and tested on key problems in medicine and the sciences where the lack of appropriate analytic tools is now a major obstacle to progress.
With Profs J Brodski (PI:Maths), R Djukanovic (Medicine), J Frey, M Niranjan (ECS), J Foster (Maths) and P Skipp
Postdoctoral researchers: Conor Smyth, Mariam Pirashvili, Francisco Belchi Guillamon
EPSRC 2015-2019 award. Co-PI £1.218M

Other Research Funding – current and recent:

2017-2018: Co-Applicant Confidence in Concept (PI Salim Khakoo) MRC award £224K.
2016-2018: Co-Applicant. Discovery Awards: Maths, Engineering and Life Sciences: Making connections for precision medicine. With Deborah MacKay, John Holloway, Cyrus Cooper (Medicine), Jacek Brodzki and Ben MacArthur (Mathematics). MRC award £500K
2014-2016: Principal Investigator: Global Partnership Award 'Exploration of polarisation contrast in super-oscillatory imaging' – with the Marine Biological Laboratory, University of Chicago. £4,695.
2013-2014: Co-Investigator on Southampton Imaging: 3D Imaging at millimetre to nanometre scales for regenerative medicine using multiple complimentary modalities. With Richard Oreffo (PI) Medicine, Anton Page (Medicine), Peter Lackie (Medicine), Ian Sinclair (Engineering). MRC Award £1.171M - Capital Equipment for Regenerative Medicine.
2013-2014: Co-Investigator on EPSRC Laser-printable point-of-care sensors for low-cost medical diagnosis and disease monitoring. Principal Investigator, Prof. Robert Eason, Optoelectronics Research Centre, Co-Investigators Dr Spiros Garbis Cancer Sciences, Dr Saul Faust Medicine, Researcher-Co-Investigator Dr Collin Lawrence. £186K (EPSRC).

PhD/MPhil Supervision

Maria Strickland: Cellular metabolism and regulation of mitochondrial efficiency - healthy ageing across the life course. With primary supervisor Sylvia Pender and David Johnson (UoS: Medicine) and Anis Larbi (A*STAR. Funded by A*Star and Vice Chancellors Award.
Eleni Georgiades: Characterisation of a new mitochondrial potassium channel, K2P15.1. With Maurits De Planque (UoS: Electronic and Computing Science) and Ita O’Kelly (Enterprise). Funded by BBSRC (O’Kelly).
Victor Lethuillier: Imaging substrates for monitoring the diffusive boundary layer of living cells. With Phil Bartlett, Richard Brown and Linda Brown (UoS: Chemistry). Funded by Internal.
Friedrich Kleiner: The molecular mechanisms of signal transduction in unicellular algae. With primary supervisor Colin Brownlee. Funded by ERC (Brownlee).

Research group

Institute for Life Sciences (IfLS)

Affiliate research groups

Neuroscience , Southampton Neuroscience Group (SoNG) , Nanoscale Imaging , Computationally Intensive Imaging

Research project(s)

Grant - Charting Intercellular Space

The principal aim of this project is to demonstrate sensing in the extracellular/intercellular space using functionalized quantum dots. Spatial and temporal information on intercellular concentrations will allow us to study how analyte concentrations in the EICS are linked to physiological status.

Investigating the interface between metabolism and neurodegeneration

This project seeks to combine electrophysiological and oxygen flux detection techniques to examine alterations in metabolism and synaptic functioning in health and disease.

Lecturer

Advanced Neuroscience

2017-present: Academic lead on the University of Southampton Life Sciences Strategy.
2017: Member (Biosciences) Innovation South Strategic Steering Committee.
2016-present: Member, DataScience@Southampton Board (Chair, Prof. Dame Wendy Hall).
2014-present: Member, REEG and USRGs - Southampton Neuroscience Group (Steering Group), Computationally Intensive Imaging (Steering Group), NAMRIP and MENSUS.
2015-present: Member, University of Southampton, Jubilee Group.
2012-present: Member, Joint Research Strategy Board, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton.
2012-present: Board Member, Zepler Institute, University of Southampton (Chair Prof. Sir David Payne).
2012-present: Member, Faculty Health and Safety review group.
2012-present: Chair, 2015 and Member, Health and Pharma, University Industrial Sector Team.
2011-present: Appointed Trustee, Southampton University representative, Board, Wessex Medical Research.
2011-present: Member, Faculty of Physical and Applied Sciences Faculty Research Committee.
2011-present: Member, Faculty of Medicine Research Management Committee.
2011-present: Member, Biological Sciences Research Management Committee.
2011-present: Member, Faculty Leadership Team and Faculty Executive Group, Faculty Environmental and Life Sciences, Univ. of Southampton.

To better understand the regional ecosystem with regards to enterprises related to the life sciences I have instigated or led several pieces of work with local governments and the LEPs to audit life sciences commercial research activity. We are building a comprehensive map for the South Central region.
An immediate result of the work has been the launch of a nationwide network revolving around various sector interests in orthotics and prosthetics – from clinic, through academia and enterprise, to the end user. The strength of these activities in the South Central region has led to the creation of a regional hub with international impact.

Grants

2016-2017: Co-awardee with Dr Alex Mant of Enterprise M3 LEP support for a scooping exercise to audit the regional life science enterprise activity.
2014-2015: Awarded: Solent LEP and WAHSN scooping exercise to audit the regional life science enterprise activity.
2013-2014: Awarded: Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership: The development of a detailed evidence based business plan for the health life sciences sector in the Swindon and Wiltshire area. With Martin Stephens, Chief Executive, Wessex AHSN, Kevin Brooks, AHSN and Karl Simpson, UoS.

Presentations

2017: Enterprise M3 board presentation on Life Sciences: Landscape and opportunities
2016: Enterprise M3 and Solent LEP scoping meeting for the national enterprise audit – joint presentation with Royal Holloway on regional Universities’ Life Sciences portfolios.
2015: Hampshire County Council Nucleus event. Keynote address on regional opportunities for enterprise and the life sciences
2015: Solent LEP presentation on the life sciences audit and smart specialisations.

Professor Peter J S Smith
Biological Sciences
Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences
Life Sciences Building 85
University of Southampton
Highfield Campus
Southampton
SO17 1BJ

Room Number : 85/3011


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