BLRD Research Career Scientist Award Application

Harry S. Truman Memorial Va Hospital, Columbia MO

Investigators

Abstract

Dr. Charles Jeffrey Smith’s current research activities and primary research goals focus on three distinct areas: 1. The Smith Laboratory research program at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital (HSTVA) is focused on the development of improved radiopharmaceuticals for early diagnosis and more effective treatments for prostate and breast cancer patients. • Since Dr. Smith’s independent funding portfolio began in 2004, his research efforts have been supported primarily by VA and NIH funding mechanisms. His current Merit Review Award (BX000964) focuses on utilizing phage display technology to identify novel cell-targeting probes for the design/delivery of radiopharmaceuticals that target prostate and breast cancer. • As a result of direct and collaborative research projects, Dr. Smith has authored or co-authored 70 peer- reviewed publications, 4 review articles, 13 books/book chapters, and six (6) successful US Patent applications. In addition, he has authored or co-authored 26 professional reports or peer-reviewed proceedings from a research meeting. • As part of his VA Research program, Dr. Smith has continued to serve as a mentor to post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate students from the University of Missouri (MU) Departments of Chemistry/Radiology and also to M4 medical students from the School of Medicine. • As a Professor in the Department of Radiology at MU, Dr. Smith has been a facilitator of Patient Based Learning (PBL) for medical students in Pathophysiology 4, Blocks 5 (Fall) and 8 (Winter) since 2006 and 2012 to the present. • As faculty in the MU Department of Radiology, Dr. Smith has served as a research mentor to M4 medical students who have worked in his laboratory to gain experience with radiopharmaceutical science research. • An additional component of Dr. Smith’s research program has been in directing the Radiopharmacology Core, which provides HSTVA and MU investigators with expertise for pre-clinical rodent studies in agent administration, surgical services, biodistribution, therapeutic assessment, and small animal imaging investigations. 2. The HSTVA Biomolecular Imaging Center (BIC) serves as a resource for HSTVA and MU to provide state- of-the-art small animal molecular imaging instrumentation for research purposes. Dr. Smith became the Director of the HSTVA BIC in August of 2023. The VA BIC equipment is operated on a fee-for-service model by specially-trained individuals who work with the investigator in designing and executing varying small animal research objectives. 3. The HSTVA Open Field Blast Center (OFBC) facility is a VA Office of Research & Development (ORD) supported center which provides VA investigators with access to an open field blast mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) animal model. Dr. Smith became the Director of the VA OFBC in August of 2023. The OFBC works with VA investigators across the country to provide a model of mTBI to them and also to offer specialized services in the areas of neurobehavior assessment, neuroimaging, and/or ocular assessment of these animals. In addition, the OFBC provides a mechanism for shipment of these animals back to the VA investigator to address additional research questions related to the blast environment and mTBI.