Highlights
Student Profile: Daniel Smith
by Susan McLaughlin
The individuals who are dedicated to unlocking the mysteries of how cells work are at the forefront of scientific and medical research. Daniel Smith (A&S G '13) is one of those people, focusing on an interdisciplinary approach to research while pursuing a doctoral degree in Pitt's Department of Mathematics. In addition, his hard work and academic accomplishments have earned him a scholarship from the School of Arts and Sciences, along with an IGERT Fellowship.
“I grew up in Iowa and Minnesota, completing my undergraduate work in mathematics and neuroscience at the University of Minnesota. During that time I had the opportunity to work on bio-detailed modeling of neuro-networks, which led me wanting to learn more about neurophysiology,” Smith said. “My undergraduate advisor was familiar with the program at the University of Pittsburgh and said it would be good for the interdisciplinary work I was interested in.”
Currently in the third year of the Department of Mathematics’ PhD program, as well as pursuing work in neuroscience, Smith is focusing on two projects—studying how magnesium blocks certain receptors and thereby inhibits learning, and developing a method of obtaining data on the structure of proteins by using algorithms.
“I am working with Dr. Jon Johnson in the Department of Neuroscience, who is collaborating with Dr. Maria Kurnikova at Carnegie Mellon University on studying how magnesium can block the NMDA receptor. Two obvious applications we know of are for Alzheimer's disease—the only FDA-approved treatment for late-stage Alzheimer's disease is an NMDA receptor antagonist called Memantine, which binds at the same location as magnesium and schizophrenia—an NMDA antagonist called Ketamine can induce symptoms identical to the positive symptoms of schizophrenia,” Smith continues. “Regarding the algorithm work, I’m working with Dr. Jonathan Rubin and Dr. David Swigon in the Department of Mathematics. By studying protein samples mathematically we can determine the most likely distribution, something which is currently very difficult to do.”
In addition to the highly stimulating academic and research work, Smith appreciates the overall culture of inclusiveness at the University. “The University of Pittsburgh offers tremendous opportunities for interdisciplinary work, which is making my experience here so rewarding,” Smith says. “It is a wonderful culture of acceptance of work that is not being done in just one discipline.”
