Carson Smith

Carson Smith is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Maryland, School of Public Health. He directs the Exercise for Brain Health Laboratory and Cognitive Motor Neuroscience Laboratories, focusing on exercise's impact on brain health in older adults, particularly Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive decline. His research uses MRI, neuropsychological testing, and biomarker analyses.

Education: PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Georgia (2000). His work integrates multi-modal neuroimaging with behavioral assessments to explore how physical activity mitigates cognitive aging risks in at-risk populations. Key areas include APOE-ε4 genotype effects, cerebellar-cognitive interactions, and sleep-cardio fitness interactions with hippocampal structure.

Research highlights include demonstrating exercise-induced neuroplasticity in older adults and identifying biomarkers predicting cognitive decline. His 2023-2025 publications emphasize acute exercise effects on neural connectivity, cerebrovascular health, and genetic vulnerability moderation.

He has advised no listed students but leads multi-disciplinary teams in federal grants exploring exercise interventions for dementia prevention. Lab activities focus on translational research bridging exercise physiology and neurocognitive health.