Staff Profile

Current research

I am currently working in the Immune Regulation Laboratory with Dr Shoba Amarnath investigating the function of co-inhibitory receptors on T helper cell subsets in inflammatory disease and cancer.

Academic Background

PhD University of Edinburgh 2018-2022

I carried out my PhD in Dr Emily Gwyer Findlay's laboratory investigating the role of the neutrophil-derived peptide cathelicidin in the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis. This had particular focus on how cathelicidin affects T cell differentiation, plasticity and function. I identified for the first time that cathelicidin is involved in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and the mouse model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by maintaining the pathogenic Th17 subset.

MRes Immunobiology Newcastle University 2017-2018

BSc Biomedical Sciences 2014-2017

• Articles

  • Smith KJ, Minns D, McHugh BJ, Holloway RK, O'Connor R, Williams A, Melrose L, McPherson R, Miron VE, Davidson DJ, GwyerFindlay G. The antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin drives development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice by affecting Th17 differentiation. PLOS Biology 2022, 20(8), e3001554.
  • Minns D, Smith KJ, Hardisty G, Rossi AG, Gwyer Findlay E. The Outcome of Neutrophil-T Cell Contact Differs Depending on Activation Status of Both Cell Types. Frontiers in Immunology 2021, 12, 633486.
  • Minns D, Smith KJ, Alessandrini V, Hardisty G, Melrose L, Jackson-Jones L, MacDonald AS, Davidson DJ, Gwyer Findlay E. The neutrophil antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin promotes Th17 differentiation. Nature Communications 2021, 12, 1285.
  • Gartside SE, Yurttaser AE, Burns AL, Jovanovic N, Smith KJ, Amegashiti NS, Olthof BMJ. A role for nitric oxide in serotonin neurons of the midbrain raphe nuclei. European Journal of Neuroscience 2019.

• Reviews

  • Smith KJ, Sciume G, Amarnath S. Twenty-One Flavours of Type 1 innate lymphoid cells with PD-1 (Programmed Cell Death-1 Receptor) Sprinkles. Discovery Immunology 2023, 2(1).
  • Smith KJ, Gwyer Findlay E. Expression of antimicrobial host defence peptides in the central nervous system during health and disease. Discovery Immunology 2022, 1(1), kyac003.
  • Minns D, Smith KJ, GwyerFindlay E. Orchestration of Adaptive T Cell Responses by Neutrophil Granule Contents. Mediators of Inflammation 2019.