Dean Smith, M.D., Ph.D. Professor Emeritus Endowed Title Distinguished Teaching Professor School Medical School Department Pharmacology Graduate Programs Cell and Molecular Biology, Neuroscience Biography BS University of Utah MD University of Utah College of Medicine, 1986. PhD (Biology, Neuroscience) University of California at San Diego, 1992. HHMI Postdoctoral Fellow UCSD, 1992 Assistant Professor, PEPR fellowship UT Southwestern 1993-1995. Currently Professor of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, UTSW. Research Interests: Biochemical and neuronal mechanisms mediating olfactory behavior. We are using a combination of genetics, biochemistry, electrophysiology, cell biology and molecular biology to undertake a molecular dissection of chemosensory behavior in Drosophila. This relatively simple model system allows us to correlate expression of signal transduction molecules with specific subsets of olfactory neurons so we can understand chemical information processing by the brain. Most recently we have been focusing on pheromone signal transduction and how these special odorants elicit behavioral responses. Education Undergraduate Univ of Tx Southwestern Med Ct , Neuroscience Medical School University of UTAH (1986), Internal Medicine Graduate School Uni of California, Berkeley (1992), Biology Research Interest Diversity-the Smith lab is dedicated to promoting an inclusive, diverse and equitable research environment. Olfactory Signal Transduction Mechanisms Pheromone-Induced Behavior Publications Featured Publications . Guo H, Kunwar K, Smith D J. Neurosci. 2017 09 37 39 9465-9473 Odorant Receptor Desensitization in Insects. Guo H, Smith DP J Exp Neurosci 2017 11 1179069517748600 Odorant Responses and Courtship Behaviors Influenced by at4 Neurons in Drosophila. Pitts S, Pelser E, Meeks J, Smith D PLoS ONE 2016 11 9 e0162761 Lipid flippase modulates olfactory receptor expression and odorant sensitivity in Drosophila. Ha TS, Xia R, Zhang H, Jin X, Smith DP Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2014 May Activation of Pheromone-Sensitive Neurons is Mediated by Conformational Activation of Pheromone-Binding Protein Laughlin, J. D., Ha, T.-S., Jones, D. M. N., and Smith, D. P. Cell 2008 133 1255-1265 Farnesol-detecting olfactory neurons in Drosophila. Ronderos DS, Lin CC, Potter CJ, Smith DP J. Neurosci. 2014 Mar 34 11 3959-68 Combinatorial rules of precursor specification underlying olfactory neuron diversity. Li Q, Ha TS, Okuwa S, Wang Y, Wang Q, Millard SS, Smith DP, Volkan PC Curr. Biol. 2013 Dec 23 24 2481-90 Activation of the T1 neuronal circuit is Necessary and Sufficient to Induce Sexually Dimorphic Behaviors in Drosophila Ronderos, D. and Smith, D. P. Journal of Neuroscience February 2010 30(7) 2595-2599 SNMP is a Signaling Component Required for Pheromone Sensitivity in Drosophila Jin, X., Ha, T. S., Smith, D. P. PNAS USA 2008 105 10996-1001 A Pheromone Receptor Mediates 11-cis-Vaccenyl Acetate Responses in Drosophila Ha, T.-S., Smith, D.P. J. Neuroscience 2006 26 8727-8733 Results 1-10 of 11 1 2 Next Last Books Featured Books How Drosophila Detect Volatile Pheromones: Signaling, Circuits and Behavior. In Neurobiology of Chemical Communication Samarpita Sengupta, Smith, DP (2014). London, CRC Press Honors & Awards Elected to SWATMember UT Southwestern Academy of Teachers (2009) British Royal Entomological Society AwardAward for best manuscript published in Insect Molecular Biology (2004) American Heart Association, LBJ AwardAward for best grant (1995)
