Wanli Smith, M.D., Ph.D.

Headshot of Wanli Smith
  • Director of the Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory
  • Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Research Interests

Parkinson’s Disease; Obesity; Alzheimer’s disease; Neuronal cell death and protein aggregation in neuropsychiatric conditions ...read more

Background

Wanli W. Smith is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She received her M.D. in clinical medicine and her Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology in China. She pursued post-doctoral work in the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health and in the Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neurobiology, at Johns Hopkins University. Currently, she is the Director of the Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory in Division of Neurobiology. Her lab is currently directed towards understanding the molecular pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and other disorders such as obesity. Her research goals are to elucidate the molecular signaling pathways of these disorders, to identify potential therapeutic targets and to develop novel therapeutics. Her research goals are to elucidate the molecular signaling pathways of these disorders, to identify biomarkers for disease process and treatment evaluation, to identify drug targets and to develop new approaches for treatment and prevention. She has served as a reviewer for grant panels (e.g. NIH study section) and as an editor for several journals such as PLos One, etc. She has received funding from NIH, private foundations and pharmaceutical companies through the years. She has mentored many postdoctoral fellows and students.  

...read more

Titles

  • Director of the Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory
  • Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
  • Professor of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences

Departments / Divisions

Education

Degrees

  • Ph.D.; Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology (China) (1998)
  • M.D.; Xi'an Medical University (China) (1991)

Research & Publications

Selected Publications

J Liu, X Wang, R Ma, T Li, G, Guo, B Ning, TH Moran and WW Smith. AMPK signaling mediates synphilin-1-induced hyperphagia and obesity in Drosophila. J. Cell Sci. 2021, 134(3):jcs247742.

Li T, Yang D, Zhong S, Thomas JM, Xue F, Liu J, Kong L, Voulalas P, Hassan HE, Park JS, MacKerell AD Jr, Smith WW. Novel LRRK2 GTP-binding inhibitors reduced degeneration in Parkinson’s disease cell and mouse models. Hum Mol Genet.  2014: 23(23):6212-22 

Smith WW, Liu Z, Liang Y, Masuda N, Swing DA, Jenkins NA, Copeland NG, Troncoso JC, Pletnikov M, Dawson TM, Martin LJ, Moran TH, Lee MK, Borchelt DR, Ross CA. Synphilin-1 attenuates neuronal degeneration in the A53T α-synuclein transgenic mouse model. Hum Mol Genet. 2010, 19:2087-98.

Liu Z, Wang X, Yu Y, Li X, Wang T, Jiang H, Ren Q, Jiao Y, Sawa A, Moran T, Ross CA, Montell C, Smith WW. A Drosophila model for LRRK2-linked Parkinsonism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008, 105(7):2693-8.

Smith WW, Pei Z, Jiang H, Dawson VL, Dawson TM, Ross CA. Kinase activity of mutant LRRK2 mediates neuronal toxicity. Nature Neuroscience, 2006, 9(10):1231-3

Contact for Research Inquiries

600 N. Wolfe St. CMSC 8108
Baltimore, MD 21287 map

Is this you? Edit Profile
back to top button