Alex Smith enjoys success in the U.S., but still misses hanging at the Tea Party

As a kid in Oak Bay, Alex Smith dreamed of becoming a marine biologist.

B次元官网网址淲e would take the kayaks to the end of the street and out on the water to see the whales. I always imagined myself doing something on the water, but once you get to college you change your aspirations.B次元官网网址�

Smith, 38, now lives in Arlington, Md. and works for

Benylsta, a drug the company developed to treat lupus B次元官网网址� the first new treatment in almost 60 years for the disease, which attacks the autoimmune system B次元官网网址� was approved for sale this month by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Smith was the process engineer on the project, overseeing the infrastructure that ensured clean production of 20,000-litre batches of the new drug.

At Oak Bay High, Smith was a talented rugby and cricket player who played almost every weekend at Windsor Park.

Academically, he wasnB次元官网网址檛 particularly interested in pure science, despite the fact his dad, Bill, who still lives in Oak Bay with wife Liz, was a mathematician who worked for IBM and Microsoft.

Nevertheless, following graduation Smith headed off to the University of Maryland College Park to study computer science. In his first year, however, he became interested in human genome research.

B次元官网网址淚t was new and different and I was intrigued about the possibilities. At the time people thought it would be the key to everything,B次元官网网址� he said in a telephone interview.

The university had a bioprocess facility where students could work on projects for small start-up companies. Smith did just that, working for HGS in the last two years of his degree program.

Bill Smith was flabbergasted when his son switched his focus at college to microbiology.

B次元官网网址淚 thought you couldnB次元官网网址檛 pick a harder subject,B次元官网网址� Bill said. When Alex came home for visits, Bill tried to take a peek at his sonB次元官网网址檚 texts. B次元官网网址淚 was interested in what DNA was all about, but I couldnB次元官网网址檛 get through the first 10 pages.B次元官网网址�

HGS hired Smith full-time upon his graduation in 2000 and heB次元官网网址檚 been working for them since.

B次元官网网址淥ver the 11-year period, weB次元官网网址檝e had some ups and down. WeB次元官网网址檝e had drugs go through clinical trials. Some worked moderately well, some werenB次元官网网址檛 successful and so itB次元官网网址檚 nice to come through with one that is,B次元官网网址� he said.

Smith is married and has two-year-old twin boys. He is working on an MBA and last year competed in his first Ironman triathlon competition. He remembers his Oak Bay childhood fondly.

B次元官网网址淚t felt safe everywhere you go. I still miss the Oak Bay Tea Party.B次元官网网址�

vmoreau@oakbaynews.com