Jim Cuthbert Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Jim Smith
FRS FMedSci
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James Cuthbert Smith
31 December 1954 |
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| Thesis | Studies of positional signalling along the antero-posterior axis of the developing chick limb (1979) |
| Doctoral advisor | Lewis Wolpert |
Sir James Cuthbert Smith (born on December 31, 1954) is a famous scientist who studies how living things develop. He is an Emeritus Scientist at the Francis Crick Institute. He is also an Honorary Fellow at Christ's College, Cambridge and leads the Council at the Zoological Society of London.
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Sir Jim Smith's Early Life and Learning
Jim Smith went to Latymer Upper School when he was younger. He then studied Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, finishing in 1976. He earned his PhD in 1979 from University College London (UCL). His research was guided by Lewis Wolpert.
What Kind of Work Does Sir Jim Smith Do?
Sir Jim Smith is a developmental biologist. This means he studies how a single cell grows into a complex living being. His work helps us understand how different body parts form. He focuses on how cells in a very early embryo become specialized tissues. These tissues include muscle, skin, blood, and bone.
How Cells Get Their Jobs
One of his big discoveries was finding a "mesoderm-inducing factor." This factor is like a signal that tells cells to become part of the mesoderm. The mesoderm is a middle layer of cells in an embryo. It eventually forms many important body parts. He found that this signal was a protein called activin.
Activin: A Cell's Instruction Manual
Sir Jim Smith showed that activin tells cells to become different types. It depends on how much activin the cells receive. For example, a little activin might tell a cell to become one thing. A lot more activin might tell it to become something else. He found that specific genes, like Brachyury, turn on at certain activin levels. This research changed how scientists understood early embryo development.
Understanding How Embryos Form
His other work looked at a process called gastrulation. This is a key step where the embryo organizes itself into layers. He studied how certain signals, called non-canonical Wnt signalling, help this process. His earlier work also showed how growth factors affect limb development. These are important signals that help cells grow and divide.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Sir Jim Smith has received many awards for his important scientific work.
- In 1992, he became an EMBO Member.
- He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1993. This is a very high honor for scientists.
- In 1998, he became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.
- He received the Zoological Society of London Scientific Medal in 1989.
- Other awards include the Feldberg Foundation award (2000) and the William Bate Hardy Prize (2001).
- He was given the Waddington Medal in 2013 by the British Society for Developmental Biology.
- In 1993, he also won the EMBO Gold Medal.
- In 2014, the London Evening Standard newspaper named him one of the 1000 most influential Londoners.
Becoming a Knight
Sir Jim Smith was made a knight in 2017. This was for his great contributions to medical research and science education. This means he can use "Sir" before his name.
Sir Jim Smith's Family Life
Sir Jim Smith married Fiona Watt in 1979. They have three children.
