Sheryl S. Smith
Professor
Physiology and Pharmacology
Suny Downstate Medical Center
United States of America
Biography
Sheryl S. Smith is Professor in the department of Physiology and Pharmacology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, United States of America.
Research Interest
α4βδ GABAA receptors increase expression at puberty in the mouse hippocampus where they generate a tonic inhibition. Because these receptors express on the dendritic spine adjacent to excitatory synapses, my lab is interested in the role this developmentally-regulated inhibition plays in cognition and synaptic pruning of dendritic spines during adolescence, which impacts behavioral flexibility in adulthood. This receptor is also the target for neurosteroids which alter mood. Adolescence is a vulnerable period for the development and exacerbation of disorders such as anxiety as well as autism and schizophrenia, which are also interests of the lab.
Publications
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Gong QH, Smith SS (2014) Characterization of neurosteroid effects on hyperpolarizing current at α4β2δ GABAA receptors. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 231: 3525-3535.
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Smith SS, Gong QH (2005) Neurosteroid administration and withdrawal alter GABAA receptor kinetics in CA1 hippocampus of female rats. J Physiol 564: 421-436.
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Yang L, Shen H, Merlin LR, Smith SS (2016) Pubertal expression of α4β2δ GABAA receptors reduces seizure-like discharges in CA1 hippocampus. Sci Rep 6: 31928.
