Dr Vicki E. Smith PhD

Vicki Smith

Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research
Associate Professor in Molecular Endocrinology, BBSRC New Investigator Award Holder

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0)121 415 8819
Email
v.e.smith@bham.ac.uk
Twitter
@Vicki_E_Smith and @BTG_UoB
View my research portal
Address
Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, 2nd Floor IBR
Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research
College of Medical and Dental Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Vicki Smith is an Associate Professor in Molecular Endocrinology in the Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research at the University of Birmingham.

Her research is focussed on understanding the molecular pathogenesis of thyroid disease and endocrine cancers, with a particular interest in dysregulated cell signalling and trafficking events.

She is currently investigating new regulatory mechanisms in cell signalling and motility, and identifying methods of enhancing radioiodine uptake in thyroid and breast cancer

Qualifications

  • PhD in Medicine, University of Birmingham (2008)
  • BSc (Hons) in Medical Biochemistry, University of Leicester (2000)

Biography

Vicki qualified with a BSc (Hons) in Medical Biochemistry from the University of Leicester in 2000. She then spent over four years working for a biopharmaceutical company in Oxfordshire, identifying potential drug targets using genetic analyses of large patient cohorts.

Vicki subsequently moved to Birmingham to study for a PhD investigating the cellular trafficking of the sodium iodide symporter (NIS), under the supervision of Professors Chris McCabe and Jayne Franklyn, which she completed in 2008. During these studies she identified the transmembrane glycoprotein pituitary tumor-transforming gene (PTTG)-binding factor (PBF/PTTG1IP) as the first known protein to interact with NIS and modulate its function, thereby impacting on thyroid hormone biosynthesis and radioiodine treatment in thyroid cancer.

As an MRC Post-Doctoral Researcher and Co-Investigator, Vicki continued this research in the Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, broadening the investigation of PBF function to include the modulation of other membrane transporters as well as PBF post-translational regulation in normal and tumorigenic thyroid signalling. Developing a keen interest in signal transduction she spent time in the lab of Professor James Fagin at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York working with in vitro and in vivo models of aberrant MAPK signalling as a Visiting Scientist.

Vicki established her own research group in the Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research and currently holds a BBSRC New Investigator Award.

Teaching

Postgraduate supervision

Vicki currently supervises/co-supervises 4 PhD students.

Vicki’s research group welcomes PhD and MRes students in projects relating to:

  • Thyroid biology
  • Endocrine cancer (thyroid or breast cancer)
  • Cell signalling and motility
  • Cell trafficking
  • Thyroid hormone metabolite analysis

If you are interested in studying any of these research areas, please contact Vicki directly.

Research

Vicki’s research interests are centred on thyroid biology and the molecular pathogenesis of thyroid disease. She is particularly interested in the signalling pathways that mediate normal thyroid growth and function and are dysregulated in thyroid cancer and goitre.

Vicki is currently exploring new insights into the regulation of physiological cellular signalling and motility in multiple cell types, including epithelial cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells and immune cells. These findings will inform multiple conditions in which cell motility is dysregulated, such as cancer progression and chronic inflammation. 

Vicki also has a longstanding interest in the cellular trafficking of the iodide transporter NIS and how this relates to radioiodine resistance in thyroid cancer. She investigates new therapeutic strategies both to improve critical radioiodine treatment in thyroid tumours and to induce radioiodine uptake in other tumour types such as breast cancer.

These investigations include in vitro culture systems, animal models and human tissue to combine fundamental and translational research.

Other activities

Selected Awards

  • BBSRC New Investigator Award (2021)
  • Endocrine-Related Cancer - Editor’s Choice and highly downloaded article (2017)
  • American Thyroid Association Research Award (2017)
  • Endocrine Society - International Award for Publishing Excellence in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2014)
  • Journal of Molecular Endocrinology Prize (2013)
  • British Thyroid Foundation Research Award (2012)
  • Society for Endocrinology - Young Endocrinologist Basic Science Prize Lecture (2010)
  • Society for Endocrinology Early Career Grant (2009)

Membership of Societies

  • British Society for Cell Biology (BSCB)
  • Society for Endocrinology (SfE)
  • British Thyroid Association (BTA)
  • American Thyroid Association (ATA)

Membership of National Committees

  • British Thyroid Association Executive Committee (2013-2021)
  • Society for Endocrinology Programme Organising Committee (2014-2017)
  • Society for Endocrinology Science Committee (2013-2017)

Editorial positions

  • Editor-in-Chief, Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research (2024-present)
  • Editorial Board Member, Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism (2017-present)
  • Editorial Board Member, Journal of Endocrinological Investigation (2014-2022)

UoB

  • Director, IMSR Summer School (2022-present)
  • Early Career Researcher (ECR) Network Lead, IMSR (2022-present)
  • Radiation Protection Supervisor (RPS), IMSR (2016-present)
  • Deputy Director, IMSR Summer School (2019-2022)
  • IMSR Lead, Postdoctoral/Early Researcher, Career Development and Training (PERCAT), College of MDS (2016-2022)

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Read, M, Brookes, K, Zha, L, Manivannan, S, Kim, J, Kocbiyik, M, Fletcher, A, Gorvin, CM, Firth, G, Fruhwirth, G, Nicola, J, Jhiang, S, Ringel, M, Campbell, M, Sunassee, K, Blower, P, Boelaert, K, Nieto, H, Smith, V & McCabe, C 2023, 'Combined Vorinostat and Chloroquine Inhibit Sodium Iodide Symporter Endocytosis and Enhance Radionuclide Uptake In Vivo', Clinical Cancer Research. https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-23-2043

Abstract

Brookes, K, Zha, L, Small, B, Kim, J, Manivannan, S, Thornton, C, Kannappan, V, Wang, W, Nieto, H, Sunassee, K, Blower, P, Smith, V, Read, M & McCabe, C 2023, 'A copper-based metabolite of disulfiram upregulates sodium iodide symporter (NIS) gene expression to enhance thyroidal uptake of radionuclides in vivo', Endocrine Abstracts, vol. 94, OC7.1. https://doi.org/10.1530/endoabs.94.OC7.1

Brookes, K, Zha, L, Kim, J, Kannappan, V, Wang, W, Sunassee, K, Blower, P, Smith, V, Read, M & McCabe, C 2023, 'A critical role for copper in enhanced radioiodide uptake in thyroid cancer cells', Cancer Research, vol. 83, no. 7_Supplement, 5053. https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.AM2023-5053

Manivannan, S, Banga, D, Kocbiyik, M, Read, M, Zha, L, Brookes, K, Nieto, H, McCabe, C & Smith, V 2023, 'A critical role for the proto-oncogene PBF in regulating cellular adhesion and motility in thyroid cancer', Endocrine Abstracts, vol. 94, OC2.6. https://doi.org/10.1530/endoabs.94.OC2.6

Brookes, K, Zha, L, Kim, J, Small, B, Kocbiyik, M, Manivannan, S, Kannappan, V, Wang, W, Sunassee, K, Blower, P, Nieto, H, Smith, V, Read, M & McCabe, C 2023, 'Copper-based therapeutics increase sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) transcription and enhance radioiodide uptake in thyroid cancer cells', Endocrine Abstracts, vol. 90, OC11.1. https://doi.org/10.1530/endoabs.90.OC11.1

Manivannan, S, Kocbiyik, M, Alshahrani, M, El-Asrag, ME, Zha, L, Brookes, K, Nieto, H, Read, M, Beggs, A, McCabe, C & Smith, V 2023, 'Elucidating the mechanisms via which the proto-oncogene PBF stimulates cell motility in thyroid tumour progression', Thyroid Research, vol. 16, no. S1, PO2, pp. 6-6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13044-023-00170-8

Manivannan, S, Kocbiyik, M, Alshahrani, M, EI-Asrag, M, Zha, L, Brookes, K, Nieto, H, Read, M, Beggs, A, McCabe, C & Smith, V 2023, 'Elucidating the mechanisms via which the proto-oncogene Pbf stimulates cell motility in thyroid tumor progression', Thyroid, vol. 33, no. S1, Poster 338, pp. A62-A62. https://doi.org/10.1089/thy.2023.29156.abstracts

Brookes, K, Zha, L, Kim, J, Kocbiyik, M, Manivannan, S, Sunassee, K, Blower, P, Nieto, H, Smith, V, Read, M & McCabe, C 2023, 'Exploiting endocytic factors as druggable targets to enhance sodium iodide symporter activity with clinical implications for radioiodide therapy', Thyroid Research, vol. 16, no. Supplement 1, OR4, pp. 4-4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13044-023-00170-8

Brookes, K, Zha, L, Kim, J, Kocbiyik, M, Manivannan, S, Sunassee, K, Blower, P, Nieto, H, Smith, V, Read, M & McCabe, C 2023, 'Exploiting endocytic factors as druggable targets to enhance sodium iodide symporter activity with clinical implications for radioiodide therapy', Thyroid, vol. 33, no. S1, Poster 273, pp. A33-A34. https://doi.org/10.1089/thy.2023.29156.abstracts

Read, M, Brookes, K, Zha, L, Manivannan, S, Kim, J, Firth, G, Sunassee, K, Blower, P, Boelaert, K, Nieto, H, Smith, V & McCabe, C 2023, 'Manipulating NIS endocytosis as a druggable target to enhance radioiodide uptake and prognostic indictor of thyroid cancer recurrence', Endocrine Abstracts, vol. 94, OC2.1. https://doi.org/10.1530/endoabs.94.OC2.1

Zha, L, Brookes, K, Kim, J, Small, B, Kocbiyik, M, Manivannan, S, Nieto, H, Bottegoni, G, Cox, L, Kannappan, V, Wang, W, Sunassee, K, Blower, P, Smith, V, Read, M & McCabe, C 2023, 'Rational drug design of VCP inhibitors to enhance NIS function in radioiodide therapy', Thyroid Research, vol. 16, no. S1, OR3, pp. 4-4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13044-023-00170-8

Read, M, Zha, L, Brookes, K, Kim, J, Small, B, Kocbiyik, M, Manivannan, S, Bottegoni, G, Cox, L, Kannappan, V, Wang, W, Sunassee, K, Blower, P, Nieto, H, Smith, V & McCabe, C 2023, 'Rational drug design of VCP inhibitors to enhance nis function in radioiodide therapy', Thyroid, vol. 33, no. S1, Oral 8, pp. A4-A4. https://doi.org/10.1089/thy.2023.29156.abstracts

Read, M, Brookes, K, Zha, L, Thornton, C, Kim, J, Fletcher, A, Firth, G, Sunassee, K, Blower, P, Nieto, H, Smith, V & McCabe, C 2022, 'Dissecting endocytic mechanisms reveals new molecular targets to enhance sodium iodide symporter activity with clinical relevance to radioiodide therapy', Thyroid, vol. 32, no. S1, OC29, pp. A92-A92. https://doi.org/10.1089/thy.2022.29137.abstracts

Zha, L, Brookes, K, Thornton, C, Fletcher, A, Kim, J, Sunassee, K, Blower, P, Nieto, H, Smith, V, Read, M & McCabe, C 2022, 'Enhancing radioiodide uptake by addressing the mechanism of sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) endocytosis', Endocrine Abstracts, vol. 86, OC6.2. https://doi.org/10.1530/endoabs.86.OC6.2

Preprint

Read, M, Brookes, K, Zha, L, Manivannan, S, Kim, J, Kocbiyik, M, Fletcher, A, Gorvin, CM, Firth, G, Fruhwirth, G, Nicola, J, Jhiang, S, Ringel, M, Campbell, M, Sunassee, K, Blower, P, Boelaert, K, Nieto, H, Smith, V & McCabe, C 2023 'Dissecting endocytic mechanisms reveals new molecular targets to enhance sodium iodide symporter activity with clinical relevance to radioiodide therapy' bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.05.22.541733

View all publications in research portal