Deborah Smith

Deborah Smith is Professor of Molecular Parasitology and Head of the Department of Biology, and also a member of the Centre for Immunology and Infection. Training originally as a biochemist at the University of Southampton (BSc, PhD), Deborah developed research interests in molecular biology in general, and regulation of gene expression in particular, during post-doctoral fellowships working on frogs and flies at MRC Mill Hill, NIH (Bethesda) and Imperial College. Deborah was appointed to a lectureship in the Department of Biochemistry, Imperial College in 1984 and developed her independent research career - and research interests in parasitology - in that institution, being appointed Professor of Molecular Parasitology in 1999. After serving as Deputy Head of the Biochemistry Department (2000-2001) and Deputy Chair of the Graduate School of Life Sciences and Medicine (2000-2004), Deborah moved to the University of York in late 2004 to help establish the Immunology and Infection Unit (IIU). While at York, she has chaired the Infections and Immunity Board of the MRC and been a member of the MRC Strategy Board (2007-2010). Deborah has participated in international review boards for Genome Canada, the Institute Pasteur Paris, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Copenhagen Research Forum. Deborah was awarded the OBE for Services to Biomedical Sciences in 2010, and is currently co-Chair of the Wellcome Trust Interview Panel.