Barry Smith PhD FACMI

Barry Smith

Barry Smith
PhD FACMI

Distinguished Professor of Philosophy; Affiliate Professor of Biomedical Informatics, Computer Science, and Neurology

VP of Research

Contact Information
104 Park Hall
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York 14260
Phone: 7166500075
Fax: 7166456139
phismith@buffalo.edu



Professional Summary:

Barry Smith is a prominent contributor to both theoretical and applied research in ontology, especially in the biomedical domain. He is the author of some 500 publications on ontology with some 30,000 citations. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the US, Swiss and Austrian National Science Foundations, the US Department of Defense, the Volkswagen Foundation, and the European Union. In 2002 he received the 2 million Euro Wolfgang Paul Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and in 2010 he was awarded the first Paolo Bozzi Prize in Ontology by the University of Turin.

Smith is SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Director of the National Center for Ontological Research in the University at Buffalo (UB). He is also Affiliate Professor in the UB Departments of Biomedical Informatics, Computer Science and Neurology.

Smith’s pioneering work on the science of ontology led to the formation of the OBO (Open Biomedical Ontologies) Foundry, a suite of resources designed to support information-driven research in biology and biomedicine. He is ontology lead for the NIAID ImmPort project, one of the principal scientists of the National Center for Biomedical Ontology, a Scientific Advisor to the Gene Ontology Consortium, and a PI on the Protein Ontology and Infectious Disease Ontology projects.

Since 2009 Smith has also served as ontology consultant to Hernando de Soto of the Institute of Liberty and Democracy (ILD) supporting the work of the ILD on creating modern legal frameworks that help the poor of the developing and ex-communist world access property and business rights.

Education and Training:

  • PhD, Philosophy, University of Manchester (1976)
  • MA, Mathematics and Philosophy, Oxford University (1975)
  • BA, Mathematics and Philosophy, Oxford University (1973)

Employment:

  • Distinguished Professor, Philosophy, University at Buffalo (1994-present)
  • Professor, International Academy for Philosophy (1989–1994)
  • Professor, Philosophy, University of Manchester (1979–1989)
  • Post Doctoral Fellow, Philosophy, University of Sheffield (1976–1979)

Research Centers:

  • Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences
  • Clinical and Translational Research Center (CTRC)

UB 2020 Strategic Strengths:

  • Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan
  • Information and Computing Technology

Grants and Sponsored Research:

  • August 2015–March 2019
    Clinical and Translational Science Award: Buffalo Clinical and Translational Research Center
    National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
    Role: Co-Investigator
    $13,151,902
  • January 2017–July 2018
    Coordinated Holistic Alignment of Manufacturing Processes
    DMDII
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $1,254,004
  • October 2012–September 2017
    Bioinformatics Integration Support Contract
    NIH
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $1,028,815

Journal Articles:

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Contact Information

104 Park Hall
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York 14260
Phone: 7166500075
Fax: 7166456139
phismith@buffalo.edu