Dr. Cody Smith has been named an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy at UConn. Smith will begin his appointment in the spring 2023 semester.

Smith comes to UConn from Rutgers University, where he was a postdoctoral fellow under the mentorship of Drs. Debra Laskin and Andrew Gow.

“I am excited to join the faculty in the School of Pharmacy to increase the translational potential of my research by forging new collaborations with investigators developing novel therapeutics that may mitigate lung injury and inflammation caused by inhalation of environmental air pollutants and other respiratory hazards,” says Smith.

Smith holds undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees from the University of Florida, where he was advised by Dr. Tara Sabo-Attwood.

His research focuses on elucidating mechanisms of pulmonary injury and repair following exposure to air pollutants and chemical threat agents. Smith is particularly interested in how biological sex modifies pulmonary and extrapulmonary responses to inhaled toxicants.

“This is a critical area of research as it is abundantly clear that sex differences in anatomy and physiology affect pathophysiological responses to toxicants and disease outcomes,” says Smith. “In this regard, individualized exposure limits and therapeutic strategies may be required to prevent disease and to target distinct pathways driving toxicity in men and women.”

Smith has published 17 articles and invited reviews and has received multiple awards for his research. His postdoctoral research was funded by a National Institute of Health (NIH) F32 Postdoctoral Fellowship and more recently by an NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award. He has served in leadership roles in the Society of Toxicology, and is committed to training the next generation of pharmacists, toxicologists, and pharmaceutical scientists.

In his free time, Smith enjoys spending time outdoors with his partner and dog, hiking, and swimming.