معرفی
George Smith is a Professor and Director of the Center for Neural Development and Repair at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, and serves as Vice Chair of the Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry.
His educational background includes a PhD in Neuroscience from Case Western Reserve University (1987) and dual Bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Chemistry from Lewis University (1983).
Dr. Smith's research focuses on neural regeneration after spinal cord injury, with two primary projects: (1) Gene therapy approaches using recombinant viruses to express neurotrophic factors and guidance molecules for precise axon regeneration and synaptic reconnection; (2) Construction of motor relays via neural stem cell grafts combined with molecular highways to direct axon growth and restore motor function. His work bridges molecular neuroscience and translational applications for nervous system repair.
Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals consistent emphasis on axon guidance mechanisms, neurotrophin signaling pathways (particularly mTor and bRaf), and innovative biomaterial strategies to overcome inhibitory environments in neural tissue. The research trajectory shows progression from basic axon growth studies to sophisticated circuit reconstruction approaches.
He leads a laboratory developing advanced techniques including genetic axon tract tracers, neural stem cell differentiation protocols, and combinatorial neurotrophic factor delivery systems to address challenges in spinal cord repair.
