Peter G. Smith, Ph.D.
Senior Associate Dean for Research, School of Medicine
psmith@kumc.eduProfessional Background
Peter G. Smith, PhD, is the Wineinger professor of Cell Biology and Physiology, Senior Vice Chancellor for Research, Senior Associate Dean for Research at the KU School of Medicine, and co-director of the Kansas Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center. Born in Boston, Dr. Smith attended the University of New Hampshire and received a PhD from Duke University Medical Center. He became a Research Assistant Professor at Duke in 1982, an associate professor at KU Medical Center in 1987 and was promoted to professor in 1993. From 2014 to 2015, he served as Interim Chair of Molecular and Integrative Physiology before assuming the roles of Senior Associate Dean for Research in 2015 and senior vice chancellor for research in 2020.
For over 40 years, Smith has been engaged continuously in NIH-funded research focused on neuroplasticity and repair of the mammalian nervous system. Smith has authored over 120 original research articles and is a frequent invited speaker at national and international conferences. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health for over 35 years and he regularly serves as an NIH consultant and study section chair. He’s received many honors and awards for teaching, mentoring, and research.
Education and Training
- BA, Zoology/Chemistry, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
- PhD, Physiology and Pharmacology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
Research
Overview
Current interests include mechanisms of chronic pain; investigations of non-opioid analgesics; the role of the renin-angiotensin system and the AT2, Mas1 and Mrgprd receptors in modulating thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity in inflammatory pain; the role of estrogen in regulating systems determining pain sensitivity; female pelvic pain syndromes; mechanisms of sensory, motor and metabolic dysfunction in developmental disorders including Rett syndrome; and role of genetic mutations in nervous system development and rare neurological disorder phenotypes.