Michael Smith Neurobiology Lab

I am a neurobiologist with a primary focus on the auditory system of fishes. I use fish as a model to understand the process of damaging, protecting, and regenerating the specialized cells of the ear that allow for hearing, called sensory hair cells.  I also enjoy studying bioacoustics (how animals use sounds and vibrations for communication).  I love working with students in my laboratory on projects ranging from cancer to chameleons.

Selected Recent Publications (*student authors)

Monroe, J.D., Millay, M.H.*, Patty, B.G.*, Smith, M.E.  2018. The curcuminoid, EF-24, reduces cisplatin-mediated reactive oxygen species in zebrafish inner ear auditory and vestibular tissues. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 57:152-156.

Kholikov, K.*, Ilhom, S.*, Sajjad, M., Smith, M.E., Monroe, J.D., San, O., Er. A.O. 2018.  Improved singlet oxygen generation and antimicrobial activity of sulfur-doped graphene quantum dots coupled with methylene blue for photodynamic therapy applications. Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy 24:7-14.

Monroe, J.D., Hruska, H.L.*, Ruggles, H.K.*, Williams, K.M., Smith, M.E.  2018.  Anti-cancer characterisitics and ototoxicity of platinum(II) amine complexes with only one leaving ligand. PLoS ONE 13(3):e0192505. https://doi.org/10.137/journal.pone.0192505.

Smith, M.E., Weller, K.K.*, Kynard, B., Sato, Y., Godinho, A.L.  2018. Mating calls of three prochilodontid fish species from Brazil. Environmental Biology of Fishes 101:327-333. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-017-0701-3.

Monroe, J.D., Manning, D.*, Uribe, P.*, Bhandiwad, A.*, Sisneros, J.A., Smith, M.E., Coffin, A.  2016. Hearing sensitivity differs between zebrafish lines used in auditory research. Hearing Research 341:220-231.

Monroe, J.D., Rajadinakaran, G.*, and Smith, M.E. 2015. Sensory hair cell death and regeneration in fishes.  Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 9:131.

Smith, M.E.  2015. The relationship between hair cell loss and hearing loss in fishes. Pp. 1079-1086. In: The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life II. Popper, A.N. and Hawkins, A. (Eds.). Springer-Verlag.

Casper, B.M., Smith, M.E., Halvorsen, M.B., Sun, H., Carlson, T.J., and Popper, A.N.  2013.  Effect of exposure to pile driving sounds on fish inner ear tissues. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A 166:352-360.

Smith, M.E. and Rajadinakaran, G.  2013.  The transcriptomics to proteomics of hair cell regeneration: Looking for a hair cell in a haystack.  Microarrays 2 (3):186-207; doi:10.3390/microarrays2030186.

Uribe, P.M.*, Sun, H., Wang, K., Asuncion, J.D., Wang, Q., Steyger, P.S., Smith, M.E., and Matsui, J.I. 2013. Aminoglycoside-induced hair cell death of inner ear organs causes functional deficits in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). PLoS ONE 8(3): e58755. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0058755.

Sun, H., Lin, C-H.*, and Smith, M.E. 2011. Growth hormone promotes hair cell regeneration in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) inner ear following acoustic trauma. PLoS ONE 6 (11): e28372. Doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0028372.

Schuck, J.B.*, Sun, H., Penberthy, W.T., Cooper, N.G.F., Li, X., and Smith, M.E. 2011. Transcriptomic analysis of the zebrafish inner ear points to growth hormone mediated regeneration following acoustic trauma. BMC Neuroscience 12: 88, Doi:10.1186/1471-2202-12-88.

Smith, M.E., Schuck, J.B.*, Gilley, R.R.*, and Rogers, B.D.* 2011. Structural and functional effects of acoustic exposure in goldfish: evidence for tonotopy in the teleost saccule. BMC Neuroscience 12:19, Doi:10.1186/1471-2202-12-19.

Schuck, J.B.* and Smith, M.E. 2009. Cell proliferation follows acoustically-induced hair cell bundle loss in the zebrafish saccule. Hearing Research 253:67-76.