# Ken Smith

Source: https://onco.cc/people/ken-smith/  
OnCo record `ken-smith` (Person). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Clinician-scientist and immunologist who directs WEHI, Australia's oldest medical research institute and a major centre for cancer biology.

## Summary

Ken Smith is Director of WEHI (the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) in Melbourne. The institute has a long record in cancer research, including the discovery of the BCL-2 family's role in cell survival that underpinned the leukaemia drug venetoclax. A clinician-scientist and immunologist, he leads WEHI's research strategy across cancer, infection, immunity and healthy development. His role is listed on WEHI's About page.

## Fields

- Kind: Person
- Last checked: 2026-09-10
- Tags: leadership; clinician-scientist; immunology
- Role: Director
- Specialisms: Immunology; Medical research leadership; Translational medicine

## Sources

- Institution profile: https://www.wehi.edu.au/about/

## Connected records

- institutions: [Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research](https://onco.cc/institutions/wehi/)

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