Andrew D. Smith

Professor Andrew D. Smith is a faculty member at the School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, where he serves as Director of Research and leads the EPSRC CRITICAT Catalysis CDT and EaSI-CAT initiatives in collaboration with Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt Universities. He completed his D. Phil at Oxford under Prof. Steve Davies and has held academic positions at St Andrews since 2005, including Royal Society URF, Reader (2010), and Professor (2012).

Research interests focus on enantioselective catalysis using NHCs and isothioureas to develop novel routes for stereodefined materials. His work combines methodology development with mechanistic studies, exploring reactive intermediates like acyl ammoniums, ammonium enolates, and ylides. Collaborations with physical organic chemists (e.g., Guy Lloyd-Jones, Paul Cheong) and industry partners (GSK, Pfizer, Syngenta) highlight the interdisciplinary and applied nature of his research.

Recent publications emphasize asymmetric annulation reactions, dynamic kinetic resolution of tertiary alcohols, and flow chemistry applications. His group has commercialized the HyperBTM catalyst for industrial use. Trends show a strong emphasis on heterocyclic chemistry, stereoselectivity, and green chemistry principles.

Scientific accolades include the ERC Consolidator Grant (2011), RSC Merck Prize (2014), RSC Charles Rees Award (2018), and FRSE (2017). He contributes to teaching through courses in Introductory Organic Chemistry, Mechanism in Organic Chemistry, and Asymmetric Synthesis, while mentoring 35 PhD graduates and 15 postdocs.