Rate My Professor Doug Smith

Associate Professor Doug Smith is a neurobiologist in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy within the College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Physiology and Pharmacology from the University of Queensland. Following his PhD, Smith served as a Research Scientist in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine from 1997 to 2004. He joined the University of Newcastle in 2005, initially as an academic in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, progressing to Senior Lecturer and then to his current position as Associate Professor. His research investigates the impacts of ageing on the central and peripheral nervous systems, with a focus on extending healthspan through interventions that preserve nervous system function. Employing animal models, Smith's lab utilizes advanced techniques such as next-generation sequencing, laser-capture microdissection for isolating specific cell types like dopamine neurons, spinal cord motor neurons, and vestibular hair cells, immunocytochemistry, and real-time PCR. Key areas include age-related changes in nuclear and mitochondrial genomes, blood-brain barrier integrity, lipidomics in the central nervous system, and neuroinflammation associated with endogenous viral sequences. Discoveries demonstrate that intermittent fasting attenuates ageing-related brain inflammation and that ageing dysregulates cholesterol homeostasis in the brain, contributing to early dementia mechanisms.

Smith has been awarded the CJ Martin Fellowship in 1995 and has secured over $6 million in career research funding. His influential publications include 'Aging disrupts blood-brain and blood-spinal cord barrier homeostasis, but does not increase paracellular permeability' (2025, Geroscience), 'Molecular and Functional Changes to Postsynaptic Cholinergic Signaling in the Vestibular Sensory Organs of Aging C57BL/6 Mice' (2023, Journals of Gerontology Series A-Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences), 'Effects of ageing on the mitochondrial genome in rat vestibular organs' (2018, Current Aging Science), and 'Aging reduces the high-frequency and short-term adaptation of the vestibulo-ocular reflex in mice' (2017, Neurobiology of Aging). Through data-driven genomics, lipidomics, and proteomics approaches, Smith's work advances understanding of ageing processes in sensory, cognitive, and motor functions, informing potential dietary and lifestyle interventions for healthier ageing.