蜜桃传媒

Established in 2002, this award recognizes a recent, outstanding achievement by a scholar early in their career. Recipients are distinguished by a significant scholarly or creative contribution that positions them as rising leaders in their field.

Smith earned the award in recognition of his leadership on a five-year, $3.6 million research project (R01) grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). His project, “Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Mechanistically Aware Phage Cocktails,” explores how to best use bacteriophages (phages)—highly specific bacterial pathogens—as a new category of safer antibiotics. Smith serves as the lead investigator on the project, which represents the culmination of a national collaborative effort spanning the disciplines of chemistry, microbial genetics, virology, clinical microbiology, pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy.

“I’m deeply honored to receive the UB Exceptional Scholar Award,” says Smith. “To be recognized alongside such an exceptional array of previous recipients is truly humbling. The importance of high-quality, impactful research to improve the treatment of patients locally, nationally and internationally cannot be understated. I’m hopeful that with this recognition, along with my ongoing research, I can continue to contribute to society and help our patients live happier, healthier and longer lives.”

In addition to serving as the lead investigator in the phage therapy study, Smith serves as a co-investigator on four NIH R01-funded projects focused on enhancing patient care through improved treatment of antimicrobial resistant infections and individualized medicine approaches. His collaborative efforts including working with the VA Hospital of Western New York to better tailor antibiotic use to the needs of local veterans, Erie County Medical Center to individualize immunosuppressant dosing more accurately among kidney transplant patients, and the Catholic Health System of Hospitals to improve antibiotic use among neonates and infants.

“My lab’s successes are a tribute to the patients who have donated their time and efforts participating in all of the clinical studies I have worked on. I would also like to thank the many students and trainees who have worked in my lab on these many projects,” Smith adds.