David M. Smith, Ph.D.

Grant awarded by the International Myeloma Foundation

Dr. David M. Smith, an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry in the School of Medicine at WVU, was recently awarded a one year, $80,000 International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) grant to study new ways to inhibit proteasome function that could be relevant to the treatment of Multiple Myeloma. This Brian D. Novis research award will allow Dr. Smith and his laboratory team to continue their search for novel ways to inhibit the 20S proteasome. Velcade®, a proteasome inhibitor, is a first line therapy for Multiple Myeloma; however, it is toxic to patients, most likely because of the central roles the 20S proteasome plays in cellular regulation. This research is intended to develop basic biological information that can be used in developing a new type of proteasome inhibitor that are less toxic and more effective for treating Multiple Myeloma.

David joined the faculty at WVU in the fall of 2010, following the completion of an academic appointment as an Instructor in Cell Biology at Harvard University’s Medical School. Prior to this appointment, he completed his postdoctoral studies with Dr. Alfred Goldberg in the Department of Cell Biology at Harvard University’s Medical School. David’s doctoral research was performed in the laboratory of Dr. Q. Ping Dou, in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center at the University of South Florida.

This is a prestigious award intended to support the research program of a promising junior investigator in the early stages of their career. Congratulations David...!!

New Faculty Member

Dr. David Smith joined the WVU School of Medicine faculty recently as a new Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry. David completed a very productive postdoc in the Department of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School, working in the Laboratory of Professor Alfred Goldberg. David’s research has been broadly focused on understanding the roles of proteasomal protein degradation in the cell, ranging from investigations into how green tea polyphenols inhibit the proteasome and induce apoptosis in cancer models to more recent mechanistic studies of how the proteasome functions. His long-term goal is to understand how the proteasome operates at a molecular level, with a special interest in understanding how the many different regulatory “caps” that bind to the 20S proteasome catalyze different aspects of this process. Because of the proteasome’s central role in regulating most cellular processes (e.g. cell cycle, apoptosis, transcription, receptor signaling, etc.) understanding the mechanisms that regulate its specificity is not only of biological interest, but is also highly relevant to many areas of medicine such as Cancer and Neurodegenerative disease (e.g. Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Mad cow disease, etc.).

David received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of South Florida. His research has been funded by the Fidelity Foundation, the Adelson Medical Research Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. When he is not in the laboratory, David enjoys renovating his ‘81 Corvette, golfing, and fishing. Welcome to the Department of Biochemistry and to WVU David! Welcome Dr. Smith!