معرفی
Elizabeth F. Smith is the Paul M. Dauten Jr. Professor of Biological Sciences and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Dartmouth College. She oversees educational policies and faculty development within Dartmouth's largest academic unit. Previously, she served as Associate Dean of the Sciences and Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences. Her research focuses on cilia and flagella biology, exploring their roles in motility, disease, and developmental processes.
Smith earned a B.A. in Biology from Agnes Scott College and a Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology from Emory University. Her postdoctoral training was in Genetics and Cell Biology at the University of Minnesota. Her work uses Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as a model system to study ciliary structure, signaling pathways (e.g., calcium-calmodulin), and intraflagellar transport (IFT) mechanisms. Key projects investigate calmodulin's role in dynein regulation and katanin's function in central pair microtubule assembly.
Her research addresses diseases linked to ciliary dysfunction, such as polycystic kidney disease, infertility, and respiratory disorders. Supported by grants from NIH, NSF, and other institutions, her lab explores protein complexes (e.g., Pcdp1, PACRG) critical for ciliary motility and assembly. Recent studies highlight structural insights into the ciliary central apparatus and radial spokes.
Smith’s publications span high-impact journals like Molecular Biology of the Cell and Journal of Cell Biology. Her lab's interdisciplinary approach integrates biochemistry, genetics, and advanced imaging to unravel ciliary biology. She leads Dartmouth’s efforts in promoting interdisciplinary academic excellence and faculty well-being.
