Yoland Smith

Yoland Smith, PhD, is a Professor and Vice-Chair of Faculty Affairs in Neurology at Emory University School of Medicine, and Chief of the Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurological Disorders at the Emory National Primate Research Center. His research focuses on Parkinson's Disease pathophysiology, basal ganglia synaptic plasticity, and neuropharmacological interventions using nonhuman primate models. He has pioneered interdisciplinary approaches combining anatomical, electrophysiological, imaging, and behavioral studies to understand movement disorder mechanisms.

Dr. Smith earned his PhD in Neuroscience from Laval University (1988), followed by postdoctoral training at Oxford and Johns Hopkins. He joined Emory in 1996, contributing to over 250 peer-reviewed publications and serving as Senior Editor of the European Journal of Neuroscience. His work has been continuously NIH-funded for 25+ years, with a focus on translational research and graduate education through NIH T32 training grants.

Key research areas include: 1) Thalamostriatal circuit dysfunction in Parkinsonism, 2) Glutamate receptor pharmacology in basal ganglia circuits, 3) Neuroprotective strategies targeting mGluRs, and 4) Translational primate models of neurodegeneration. Recent studies explore RGS14 neuroprotective mechanisms against seizure-induced pathology and novel gene delivery methods in primates.

His lab's innovations include developing AAV2-retro motor neuron targeting (2023), discovering RGS14's role in mitochondrial stress (2024), and characterizing GluD1 receptor distributions in striatal circuits (2021-2025). Collaborative initiatives include leadership roles in the ASAP Parkinson's program and Emory Udall Center for Excellence.