ABOUT THE LAB

Dr. Smith's laboratory studies mechanisms of RNA regulation, focusing on spatial and temporal dynamics of RNA expression. A major aim of the laboratory is to identify functional polymorphisms that modulate RNA expression. These polymorphisms are substrate for a number of downstream applications, including genetic association studies in complex genetic disorders and pharmacogenetic analyses, novel drug target identification and validation, and studies on evolutionary selection pressures. The Smith Laboratory also uses transgenic animal models to study fundamental mechanisms of RNA expression and to identify cell type-specific and subcellular RNA expression profiles in central nervous system tissues.