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DrCraig Smith

Senior Lecturer, Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Faculty of Health/School of Medicine/Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation

Orcid identifier0000-0002-2894-2433 (opens in a new tab)⁠
  • Senior Lecturer, Pharmacology and Therapeutics
    Faculty of Health/School of Medicine/Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation
  • +61 3 524 79473 (Work)
  • Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, Victoria 3216

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Dr Craig Smith is an internationally recognised neuroscientist and pharmacologist whose research seeks to understand the neural mechanisms underlying mental health and to develop novel treatments for psychiatric disorders. Over more than two decades, he has built a cohesive program of research focused on how brain signalling systems regulate emotion, motivation, and stress. He is a world leader in the study of the relaxin-3 neurotransmitter system and has made several seminal contributions that have shaped this field. As Head of the Neuroscience and Depression Laboratory, he leads research investigating innovative therapeutic approaches for depression while contributing to collaborative programs addressing major challenges in neuroscience and mental health.

 

Dr Smith has authored 58 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, including a first-authored publication in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). While his international reputation was established through pioneering studies of the relaxin-3 system, his recent research contributions have encompassed a diverse range of neuroscience and pharmacology topics through multidisciplinary collaborative research. His work has attracted more than $600,000 in research funding and he has served as a Chief Investigator on grants collectively exceeding $1.7 million, including NHMRC Project Grants and international collaborative funding. His research has received media attention and earned numerous awards recognising scientific excellence and research impact.

 

An active research leader and mentor, Dr Smith currently supervises a team of PhD and Honours students and has successfully supervised numerous doctoral, masters, and honours candidates to completion. He is a regular invited speaker at international scientific conferences and research seminars, reflecting both the quality and influence of his work. In recognition of his research leadership and standing within the field, he serves as Deputy Leader of the Neuroscience and Mental Health Theme within Deakin University's IMPACT Institute, where he helps drive collaborative research initiatives addressing major challenges in neuroscience and mental health.

GRANTS