Biography
Dr. Julian Smith is an immunologist whose career spans academia and industry with expertise in innate immunity, neuroimmunology, and translational biotechnology. He began his scientific training in the laboratory of Dr. Dritan Agalliu at Columbia University Medical School, studying neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier breakdown and repair.
Julian went on to receive his Ph.D. in immunology from the University of Washington in 2023. He conducted his dissertation work in the laboratory of Dr. Ram Savan, where he studied novel suppressors of immunostimulatory self-nucleic acids. Here, he gained valuable experience in RNA biology and expertise in the regulation of RNA sensors involved in innate antiviral immune responses.
Following postdoctoral training at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center with Dr. Daphne Avgousti, where he studied DNA virus–host chromatin interactions and innate immune suppression, Julian transitioned to industry as a Scientist at Outpace Bio, a biotechnology startup focused on protein-engineered cell therapies for solid tumors. In 2026, he joined the laboratory of Dr. Elias Sayour in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Florida as an Assistant Scientist, bringing his diverse expertise in neuroimmunology, RNA sensing, innate immunity, and cell therapy to aid in immune-based therapeutic development.