Nicholas M. Smith PharmD, PhD
Nicholas M. Smith
PharmD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacy Practice
Specialty/Research Focus
Clinical Research; Infectious Disease; Pharmacodynamics; Pharmacokinetics; Pharmacometrics; Translational Research
Professional Summary:
My lab‘s main research focus has been on clinical pharmacology and clinical-translational pharmacometric approaches as it relates to antibiotics and the treatment of extensively resistant and pan resistant bacteria. Our current projects are looking into novel dosing schemes used in the treatment of resistant gram negative ‘superbugs;‘ developing model-based approaches to optimize treatment regimens; and using population studies in tandem with my wet-bench research to better understand what these new therapies mean for patient treatment. As a group of clinician-scientists, our objectives are to design, test, then implement patient- and bacteria-specific treatments in order to optimize patient outcomes.
Education and Training:
- PhD, University at Buffalo (2021)
- MS, University at Buffalo (2018)
- PharmD, University at Buffalo (2018)
- BS, University at Buffalo (2015)
Research Expertise:
- Anti-infectives
- Bacterial Resistance
- Individualized Therapy
Grants and Sponsored Research:
- December 2019–November 2024
Novel Strategies for Antibiotic Combinations to Combat Gram-negative Superbugs
NIH/NIAID
Role: Co-Investigator
$3,920,000 - November 2021–November 2023
Treatment Individualization in a Post-Antibiotic Era for Special Patient Populations
NIH/DLR/NIAID
Role: Principal Investigator
$89,000 - August 2018–July 2023
Age and Race Influences on Immunosuppression after Renal Transplant
NIH/NIA
Role: Co-Investigator
$3,500,000 - October 2021–November 2021
AIDS Clinical Trials Group Pharmacology Specialty Laboratory (subaward 1650GYA545)
NIH/NIAID
Role: Co-Investigator
Journal Articles:
- Chua HC, Tse A, Smith NM, Mergenhagen KA, Cha R, Tsuji BT. Combatting the Rising Tide of Antimicrobial Resistance: Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Dosing Strategies for Maximal Precision. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2021; 57(3).
- Smith NM, Ang A, Tan F, Macias K, James S, Sidhu J, Lenhard JR. Interaction of Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii during In Vitro β-Lactam Exposure. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2021; 65(4).
- Onufrak NJ, Smith NM, Satlin MJ, Bulitta JB, Tan X, Holden PN, Nation RL, Li J, Forrest A, Tsuji BT, Bulman ZP. In pursuit of the triple crown: mechanism-based pharmacodynamic modelling for the optimization of three-drug combinations against KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2020; 26(9).
- Smith NM, Lenhard JR, Boissonneault KR, Landersdorfer CB, Bulitta JB, Holden PN, Forrest A, Nation RL, Li J, Tsuji BT. Using machine learning to optimize antibiotic combinations: dosing strategies for meropenem and polymyxin B against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2020; 26(9).
- Lodise TP, Smith NM, O'Donnell N, Eakin AE, Holden PN, Boissonneault KR, Zhou J, Tao X, Bulitta JB, Fowler VG, Chambers HF, Bonomo RA, Tsuji BT. Determining the optimal dosing of a novel combination regimen of ceftazidime/avibactam with aztreonam against NDM-1-producing Enterobacteriaceae using a hollow-fibre infection model. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2020; 75(9).
- Lenhard JR, Smith NM, Quach CD, Nguyen TQ, Doan LH, Chau J. Bacterial brothers in arms: cooperation of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa during antimicrobial exposure. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2019; 74(9).
Presentations:
- "Assessing the Antimicrobial Pharmacodynamics of Bacteriophages to Develop Next Generation Dosing Strategies" World Microbe Forum, American Society of Microbiology (2021)
- "Rationally Optimizing Therapeutic Combination Therapies Against Multiple Clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates Co-expressing New Delhi-Metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) and CTX-M" ECCMID (2021)
- "Resistance is Futile: Profiling the in vivo Response of New Delhi Metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) and CTX-M-co-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae to Antibiotic Combinations." ECCMID (2021)
- "Development of ‘Advanced Dosing Solutions’, a Freely Available and Customizable Solution to Providing maximum a posteriori-Bayesian Dosing" World Microbe Forum, ASM (2021)
- "Overthrowing Antibiotic Resistance In Metallo-beta-lactamase Gram-negatives" World Microbe Forum, ASM, Antibiotic Agents and Resistance (2021)
- "New Combinations against NDM-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae: A Modeling Approach for Pharmacodynamic Optimization" ASM Microbe, American Society of Microbiology, Antibiotic Agents and Resistance (2019)
- "Survival of the Fittest: Using a Genetic Algorithm to Find Improved Combination-Dosing Strategies against Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in Critically Ill Patients" Fellowship Forum (2019)
- "Systems Approaches to Combat Microbial Resistance," ASM North East Regional Meeting, ASM (2018)