Ian Smith

• Central and peripheral peptide regulators of cardiovascular function
• Endothelial cell peptidases involved in regulating cerebrovascular function. 
• Peptidases/processing enzymes involved in the biosynthesis and metabolism of neuropeptides.
• Design, synthesis and functional analysis of specific metalloendopeptidase inhibitors.
• Biomedical and Translational Proteomics

His research is internationally recognised and in the last five years he has received 10 invitations to speak (six as a plenary speaker) at international meetings.

He serves on several editorial boards including J Neurochemistry (handling editor), Mol & Cell Proteomics, Protein & Peptide Letters and Int. J. Peptide Res and Therap.

He has published more than 170 papers including peer reviewed research papers in major international journals such as Science, Lancet, J Clin Invest, J. Biol Chem and FASEB, book chapters and invited reviews.

He has collaborated with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and has filed seven patents. He is a co-founder of the proteomics-based, publicly listed, biotechnology company, Cryptome Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd., is a non-executive director of Auspep Pty Ltd., and a consultant to Mayne Pharma.

For the last four years he has been a member of the NHMRC grant review panel for Biochemistry, the last two as chairman. In 2011, he convened and chaired the NHMRC program committee for a special Glucosamine Research study, and continued to sit on NHMRC project grants committee.

Over the years, he has been involved in a number of national and international societies and in the organisation of numerous scientific meetings. He is currently a member of Lorne Protein committee, co-president of the Australian Peptide Association, the Australia/New Zealand representative on the International Peptide Liaison committee and convenor and was Co-Chairman for the IV International Peptide Congress, Cairns, 2007.

Ian grew up in the United Kingdom and was educated in Newcastle upon Tyne before moving to Australia.