Lab of Dr @NathanASmith1. We investigate astrocytic modulation of synaptic circuits in normal and disease brains 🧠🔬@URochester_SMD @URNeuroscience
Rochester, NY
Joined January 2018
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Astrocyte In layer 2/3 expressing #GCaMP5 in vivo #awake #astrocytes #calciumsignaling #neuroscience #research #science
The Smith Lab retweeted
Congratulations to Dr. Maiken Nedergaard! She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine for her discovery of the glymphatic system, which has reshaped scientists’ understanding of how the brain clears waste and the critical role of sleep💤
How does she approach her own sleep? Read how her research shapes her daily routines, what she’s learned about sleep, and why protecting sleep is essential for brain health 👉 urmed.info/4yx9EgV
ALT Woman standing and smiling along a railing in front of a brick wall
The Smith Lab retweeted
Congratulations to this year Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine
To understand how the brain forms memories, feelings and behaviours has long been a dream for researchers.
Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel have been awarded the 2026 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries leading to optogenetics, which makes it possible to switch on, or off, the activity of individual nerve cells in a living brain.
This method is now being used in laboratories around the world to reveal the brain’s mysteries.
The Smith Lab retweeted
BREAKING NEWS
The 2026 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel “for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics.”
The Smith Lab retweeted
First paper from my lab to hit 2000 citations (15 years later, it picks up a citation every single day on average) - rejected from at least 2 other journals (haha).
@URNeuroscience
frontiersin.org/journals/psy…
The Smith Lab retweeted
Was great to be back on TWiN to talk about our latest work on tau transmission!
Jason Shepherd joins TWiN to discuss the work in his lab showing that Arc protein plays a role in intercellular transmission of tau protein, which becomes hyperphosphorylated and misfolded, a major histopathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. đź“ş bit.ly/3Tq6tJr
The Smith Lab retweeted
A TMEM119-tankyrase axis restrains microglial phagocytosis to maintain memory and enables pharmacological forgetting. @NeuroCellPress cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S08…
The Smith Lab retweeted
First @UofR & @RCSD summer program alumni enter URochester as students. Two alumni of this program, who are now freshmen at URochester, shared more about their journey: urmed.info/3VTlP9Y #URochesterResearch
ALT A person presenting a scientific research poster titled "The Encoding of Naturalistic Music in Humans" at the University of Rochester. The poster includes sections on introduction, methods, and approach. Several people are observing and discussing the poster. Below the image is a quote by James Pichardo about an interest in science and understanding the world.
ALT A person smiling and standing in front of a research poster presentation. The poster includes text and diagrams. The image features a quote about the experience of being a graduate student, attributed to Jacayla Stewart.
The Smith Lab retweeted
What a day!!! 🎉 Over 170 of us gathered for our 4th Annual Celebration for Learners, our biggest yet. Huge thanks to @URochester_SMD GEPA and our community sponsors for making it happen. Already looking forward to next year.
The Smith Lab retweeted
🚨 Last call! @URNeuroscience Neuroscience Commission NeuroYES 2026-2027 applications close tomorrow, August 14. Postdocs entering the job market — don’t let this one pass you by. neuroyes.urmc.edu
The Smith Lab retweeted
Every year astrocytes look less like glue and more like the thing doing the work. Case in point: astrocyte primary cilia in the amygdala as a stress target — and a possible treatment route via S1PR1.
Nature research paper: Amygdala astrocyte primary cilium mechanisms contribute to stress behaviours
go.nature.com/3TCReg1
The Smith Lab retweeted
How does aging impair OPC function? The core circadian factor BMAL1 is disrupted in aging and MS, driving metabolic deficits, senescence, and altered time-of-day dynamics. Exciting part? Time-based BMAL1-SIRT2 targeting optimizes demyelination recovery. cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S08…
The Smith Lab retweeted
Our lab was awarded a 3 year Brain Initiative R21 to develop a pipeline for predicting where to cage neuropeptides. Looking for a postdoc with expertise in docking and cell culture. (See NIH reporter link in comments for more details). Please share!
The Smith Lab retweeted
Can air pollution affect your brain? đź§
Air pollution doesn't just affect your lungs. Research suggests that ultrafine particles can also affect your brain, potentially contributing to learning difficulties in children and increasing the risk of dementia in older adults.
ALT The image features a person looking upwards, with eyes closed, against a blue background. The text reads, "Your brain is breathing it in. Most people know air pollution can harm your lungs. But research shows it affects your brain, too."
ALT The image contains text on a dark blue background. The text reads: "From childhood learning to dementia risk, what you breathe matters." The words "what you breathe matters" are highlighted in yellow.
ALT Yellow shield on a blue background with text: "Comment 'AIR' to learn how pollution can affect brain health in children and adults.
The Smith Lab retweeted
🗓️Nine days left! Postdocs entering the job market: applications for @URNeuroscience Neuroscience Commission NeuroYES
2026-2027 close August 14. Click the link below to find out more! neuroyes.urmc.edu
The Smith Lab retweeted
Why participate in a clinical trial? It comes down to one thing: helping move medicine forward. Every treatment, medication, and breakthrough starts with research. And research starts with people.
Clinical trials at URochester Medicine: urmc.rochester.edu/clinical-…
The Smith Lab retweeted
The European Journal of Neuroscience at the FENS Forum 2026 youtu.be/Eszsfd54aGo?is=cj5F… via @YouTube
The Smith Lab retweeted
Excited to announce we got an @NIDAnews AVENIR DP1 grant.
We are looking for a postdoc to join the group!
The Smith Lab retweeted
Big news! Congratulations @iaahmed123! If you're interested in chemical biology tools for studying body-brain physiology get in touch with Ismail.
Excited to announce we got an @NIDAnews AVENIR DP1 grant.
We are looking for a postdoc to join the group!
The Smith Lab retweeted
Six years ago today, we lost a giant.
I’ll never forget meeting Congressman John Lewis — his warmth and humility in a chance airport encounter left a mark I’ll carry forever.
“You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone—any person or any force—dampen, dim or diminish your light.”
Rest well, Congressman. Your legacy lives on. 🙏
#GoodTrouble #JohnLewis
The Smith Lab retweeted
HOW DO TINY WORMS HELP US UNDERSTAND DEVASTATING HUMAN BRAIN DISEASES?
Professor Anne Hart of @BrownUniversity has spent her career answering that question—and changing neuroscience in the process.
It was a pleasure to have her on Neuroscience Perspectives for a wide-ranging discussion on science, leadership, and discovery.
🎥 youtube.com/watch?v=z44PX40f…
#Neuroscience #Neurogenetics @URNeuroscience @UofR
