Brian Smith

Brian Smith is a Professor at Arizona State University (ASU), affiliated with the School of Life Sciences and the Center for Evolution and Medicine. His research focuses on behavioral neuroscience, particularly learning and memory systems in insects and mammals, with applications to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. He investigates how animals use olfactory cues to predict environmental events, combining behavioral studies with electrophysiological, imaging, and computational techniques.

Education: Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Kansas (1985).

Research Interests: Smith explores how environmental contaminants (e.g., fungicides, heavy metals) impact learning and memory in pollinators like honey bees. His work bridges molecular neuroscience, behavioral ecology, and computational modeling to understand neural mechanisms underlying olfactory processing and decision-making.

Grants & Collaborations: Lead or co-PI on multiple NSF, NIH, and international grants (e.g., Ideas Lab Collaborative Research on olfactory coding, NIH-funded studies on dopamine receptors in honey bees). He also collaborates on projects integrating neurotechnology (e.g., virtual odor delivery systems) and environmental policy.

Labs & Teams: Directs the Social Insect Research Group, focusing on collective behavior and cognitive ecology. Active in interdisciplinary initiatives like the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience at ASU.