Laura N. Smith

Laura N. Smith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics at Texas A&M University's School of Medicine. Her research focuses on molecular and circuit mechanisms underlying complex behaviors, particularly addiction and neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorders (ASD). She investigates how proteins like FMRP (Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein) and ARC (Activity-Regulated Cytoskeleton-Associated Protein) influence synaptic plasticity in brain reward circuits, contributing to addiction and psychiatric conditions.

Education:

• PhD in Psychology from George Mason University (2008)
• Postdoctoral Fellow/Instructor at Harvard Medical School's Department of Psychiatry
• Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center's Department of Psychiatry

Research Interests:

• Role of FMRP in synaptic remodeling linked to addiction behaviors
• Impact of developmental proteins on reward dysfunction in ASD
• Development of non-opioid analgesics
• Long-term effects of prenatal substance exposure
• Cocaine-induced synaptic changes in nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum

Publications Overview: Her work emphasizes drug-induced synaptic adaptations, particularly how addiction co-opts normal plasticity mechanisms. Key themes include FMRP's role in regulating reward-related plasticity, alcohol's impact on cognitive flexibility, and the mechanisms behind behavioral inflexibility in addiction models. Studies often use mouse models to explore these pathways, linking molecular changes to behavioral outcomes.

Awards & Grants: No specific awards listed, though her work likely involves NIH grants given the nature of her research topics.

Lab & Collaborations: The Smith Lab collaborates on non-opioid analgesic development and fetal alcohol exposure studies. Ongoing projects include cell-type specific analysis of FMRP's role in striatal neurons and reward function.