Rate My Professor Leah Smith

Dr. Leah Smith is a Research Fellow in the Fineran Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago. Her research investigates phage-biofilm interactions and bacterial defense systems, focusing on phage therapy to combat antibiotic-resistant superbugs. This approach employs bacteriophages—viruses that specifically target and kill bacteria—offering a precise alternative to traditional antibiotics against pathogens such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a major hospital-acquired superbug. Smith's work addresses the escalating global antimicrobial resistance crisis, with the World Health Organization forecasting 10 million annual deaths by 2050. She examines phage evolution, CRISPR-Cas immunity mechanisms, genomics, and biofilm dynamics to advance therapeutic applications and deepen insights into bacterial antiviral strategies.

Originating from the United States, Smith was the first in her family to pursue higher education, overcoming significant obstacles including a five-year study hiatus and funding her tuition through multiple jobs, such as night shifts. She earned her PhD at the University of Otago from 2016 to 2020 under Professor Peter C. Fineran, transitioning to her current Research Fellow role. Smith possesses teaching experience in Microbiology, Genetics, and Human Body Systems. Her achievements include serving as Principal Investigator on a 2024 University of Otago Research Grant and the Marsden Fast-Start Fund, receiving the 2024 L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowship Pacific valued at NZ$25,000, and co-winning the 2025 New Zealand Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research Paper of the Year with Peter Fineran. Notable publications encompass 'Type I CRISPR-Cas immunity primes type III spacer acquisition' (Cell Host & Microbe, 2025), 'High-throughput transposon mutagenesis defines the essential genome of diverse phages' (bioRxiv, 2025), 'Phenotypic consequences of large genomic deletions induced by infection with lytic phages in Pseudomonas aeruginosa' (2023), and 'A mobile restriction–modification system provides phage defence' (Nucleic Acids Research, 2022). She has engaged publicly, including an RNZ Nine to Noon interview on experimental phage therapy.