Jim Cuthbert Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Jim Smith
FRS FMedSci
|
|
|---|---|
_Smith.jpg) |
|
| Born |
James Cuthbert Smith
31 December 1954 |
| Alma mater |
|
| Spouse(s) | |
| Awards |
|
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | |
| 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 31 December 1954) is a famous British scientist. He studies how living things grow and develop. He is currently an Emeritus Scientist at the Francis Crick Institute. This means he is a retired scientist who still helps with research. He also helps lead the Zoological Society of London.
Contents
Studying to be a Scientist
Sir Jim Smith went to Latymer Upper School when he was younger. Later, he studied at the University of Cambridge. In 1976, he earned a degree in Natural Sciences. This degree covers many science subjects.
He then continued his studies at University College London (UCL). In 1979, he earned his PhD. A PhD is a very high university degree. It means you have done a lot of original research. His research looked at how a chick's limb develops. His teacher was a scientist named Lewis Wolpert.
A Career in Science Research
After his PhD, Sir Jim Smith worked at different research places. From 1979 to 1984, he did special research called postdoctoral work. He worked at Harvard Medical School and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund.
In 1984, he joined the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR). He became a leader there, heading the Developmental Biology section. This group studied how living things grow. Later, he became the director of the NIMR.
In 2014, he also became Deputy CEO of the Medical Research Council (United Kingdom). This council helps fund medical research in the UK. When NIMR joined the Francis Crick Institute, he became a research director there. From 2017 to 2021, he was the Director of Science at Wellcome Trust. Wellcome is a big charity that supports health research. In 2021, he became the Secretary of the Zoological Society of London.
Understanding How Life Develops
Sir Jim Smith's main research looks at how tiny cells in an early embryo become different body parts. He studies how these cells turn into muscle, skin, blood, and bone. This field is called developmental biology.
One of his big discoveries was finding a special factor. This factor helps cells form a layer called the mesoderm. The mesoderm is important because it forms many parts of the body. He found that this factor was a protein called activin.
He also showed that different amounts of activin tell cells to become different things. It's like a secret code that cells read. For example, a little activin might make one type of cell. A lot more activin might make a different type of cell. He studied how genes, like one called Brachyury, turn on at specific activin levels.
His work also helped us understand gastrulation. This is a very early stage in development when an embryo starts to form its basic body plan. He looked at how certain signals, called Wnt signals, play a role. His research helps us understand how our bodies are built from just a few cells.
Awards and Special Honours
Sir Jim Smith has received many awards for his important scientific work.
- In 1992, he became an EMBO Member. EMBO is an organization for top life scientists.
- In 1993, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honour for scientists in the UK.
- In 1998, he became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.
- He received the Zoological Society of London Scientific Medal in 1989.
- He was given the EMBO Gold Medal in 1993. This award recognizes young scientists for excellent research.
- In 2013, he received the Waddington Medal. This medal is for scientists who have done great work in developmental biology.
In 2017, Sir Jim Smith was made a Knight by the Queen. This means he can use "Sir" before his name. He received this honour for his great contributions to medical research and science education.
Family Life
Sir Jim Smith married Fiona Watt in 1979. They have three children.
