Author
Vicky Smith
Head of Copy
PhD
After enjoying writing my thesis for my PhD in Molecular Microbiology at the University of Nottingham more than I had initially expected, I began my career in medical communications in the UK 5 years ago, where I have worked on a wide range of commercial and medical affairs projects. I am passionate about ensuring every patient has the opportunity of understanding how their treatment works. I apply this belief to all work I do by ensuring complex scientific information is considered and translated in a way that feels straightforward and understandable for the audience, whilst still aligning with underlying strategic goals and messaging.
After moving solo to New Zealand in October 2025, I am now seeking a change in pace of life and now enjoy spending free time exploring new places, jogging along the beach, reading books or working on my knitting and crochet projects.
Areas of interest
- Haematology
- Oncology
- Cardiovascular disease
My Time
Publications I’ve worked on
- Sailer AL, Wörtz J, Smith V, et al. CRISPR-Cas induced self-targeting identifies key players in archaeal microhomology-mediated end joining. Microlife. 2025;6:uqaf015. Published 2025 Jul 8. doi:10.1093/femsml/uqaf015
- Pérez-Arnaiz P, Dattani A, Smith V, Allers T. Haloferax volcanii-a model archaeon for studying DNA replication and repair. Open Biol. 2020;10(12):200293. doi:10.1098/rsob.200293
- Wörtz J, Smith V, Fallmann J, et al. Cas1 and Fen1 display equivalent functions during archaeal DNA repair. Front Microbiol. 2022;13:822304. Published 2022 Apr 15. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.822304
- Jia H, Dantuluri S, Margulies S, et al. RecJ3/4-aRNase J form a Ubl-associated nuclease complex functioning in survival against DNA damage in Haloferax volcanii. mBio. 2023;14(4):e0085223. doi:10.1128/mbio.00852-23
- Ausiannikava D, Mitchell L, Marriott H, et al. Evolution of genome architecture in archaea: spontaneous generation of a new chromosome in Haloferax volcanii. Mol Biol Evol. 2018;35(8):1855-1868. doi:10.1093/molbev/msy075
- Clancy A, Heride C, Pinto-Fernández A, et al. The deubiquitylase USP9X controls ribosomal stalling. J Cell Biol. 2021;220(3):e202004211. doi:10.1083/jcb.202004211
