Katharine Smith, PhD
Associate Professor
Contact Information:
University of Colorado Denver
Department of Pharmacology
Mail Stop 8303, RC1-North
12800 East 19th Ave
Aurora CO 80045
Phone: (303) 724-0267
Fax: (303) 724-3663
E-mail: katharine.r.smith@cuanschutz.edu
Office: RC1-North, P18-6117
Sara E. Gookin, Matthew R. Taylor, Samantha L. Schwartz, Matthew J. Kennedy, Mark L. Dell’Acqua, Kevin C. Crosby and Katharine R. Smith (2022). Complementary Use of Super-Resolution Imaging Modalities to Study the Nanoscale Architecture of
Inhibitory Synapses, Frontiers in Synaptic Neuroscience [Frontiers]
Joshua D Garcia, Sara E Gookin, Kevin C Crosby, Samantha L Schwartz, Erika Tiemeier, Matthew J Kennedy, Mark L Dell'Acqua, Paco S Herson, Nidia Quillinan, Katharine R Smith
(2021). Stepwise disassembly of GABAergic synapses during pathogenic excitotoxicity, Cell Reports, PMID: 34936876.
Actor-Engel HS, Schwartz SL, Crosby KC, Sinnen BL, Prikhodko O, Ramsay HJ, Bourne JN, Winborn CS, Lucas A, Smith KR, Dell'Acqua
ML, Kennedy MJ (2021). Precision Mapping of Amyloid-β Binding Reveals Perisynaptic Localization and Spatially Restricted Plasticity Deficits, eNeuro, PMID: 34789478.
Dipen Rajgor, Theresa M Welle, Katharine R Smith (2021). The Coordination
of Local Translation, Membranous Organelle Trafficking, and Synaptic Plasticity in Neurons, Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, PMID: 34336865.
Towers CG, Wodetzki DK, Thorburn J, Smith KR, Caino MC, Thorburn A. Mitochondrial-derived
vesicles compensate for loss of LC3-mediated mitophagy, Developmental Cell, PMID: 34171288.
Dipen Rajgor, Alicia M. Purkey, Jennifer L. Sanderson, Theresa M. Welle, Joshua D. Garcia, Mark L. Dell’Acqua, Katharine R. Smith (2020).
Local miRNA-Dependent Translational Control of GABAAR Synthesis during Inhibitory Long-Term Potentiation, Cell Reports, PMID: 32579917.
E Mae Guthman, Joshua D Garcia, Ming Ma, Philip Chu, Serapio M Baca, Katharine R Smith, Diego Restrepo,
Molly M Huntsman (2020). Cell-type-specific control of basolateral amygdala neuronal circuits via entorhinal cortex-driven feedforward inhibition, eLife, PMID: 31916940.
Kevin C. Crosby, Sara E. Gookin, Joshua D. Garcia, Katlin M. Hahm, Mark L. Dell’Acqua, and Katharine R. Smith (2019). Nanoscale Subsynaptic Domains Underlie the Organization of the Inhibitory Synapse, Cell Reports, PMID: 30893601.
Won Chan Oh and Katharine R. Smith (2018). Activity-dependent development of GABAergic synapses, Brain Research,
PMID:
30439352.
Smith KR, Penzes P (2018). Ankyrins: Roles in synaptic biology and pathology, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, PMID:
29730177.
Katharine R. Smith, Dipen Rajgor and Jonathan G. Hanley (2017). Differential regulation of the Rac1 GTPase activating protein (GAP)
BCR during oxygen/glucose deprivation in hippocampal and cortical neurons, Journal of Biological Chemistry, PMID: 29046349.
Hiester BG, Bourke AM, Sinnen BL, Cook SG, Gibson ES, Smith KR, Kennedy MJ (2017). L-Type Voltage-Gated Ca2+ Channels Regulate
Synaptic-Activity-Triggered Recycling Endosome Fusion in Neuronal Dendrites, Cell reports, PMID: 29166605.
Katharine R. Smith, Kelly A. Jones, Katherine J. Kopeikina, Alain C. Burette, Bryan A. Copits, Sehyoun Yoon, Marc Forrest, Jessica
M. Fawcett-Patel, Jonathan G. Hanley, Richard J. Weinberg,Geoffrey T. Swanson and Peter Penzes (2017). Cadherin-10 maintains excitatory/inhibitory ratio through interactions with synaptic proteins, Journal of Neuroscience,
PMID:
29030434.
Katharine R. Smith, Katherine J. Kopeikina, Jessica Fawcett-Patel, Katherine Leaderbrand, Ruoqi Gao, Britta Schürmann, Kristoffer Myczek,
Jelena Radulovic, Geoffrey T. Swanson and Peter Penzes (2014). Psychiatric risk factor ANK3/Ankyrin-G nanodomains regulate the structure and function of glutamatergic synapses, Neuron,
PMID:
25374361.
Katharine R. Smith, Elizabeth C. Davenport, Jing Wei, Xiangning Li, Manavendra Pathania, Victoria Vaccaro, Zhen Yan and
Josef T. Kittler (2014). GIT1 and βPIX are essential for GABAA receptor synaptic stability and inhibitory neurotransmission, Cell Reports, PMID: 25284783.
Katharine R. Smith, James Muir, Yijian Rao, Marietta Browarski, Marielle Gruenig, David F. Sheehan, Volker Haucke,
Josef T Kittler (2012), Stabilisation of GABAA receptors at endocytic zones is mediated by an AP2 binding motif within the GABAA receptor β3 subunit, Journal of Neuroscience,
PMID:
22396422.
James Muir, I Lorena Arancibia-Carcamo*, Andrew F MacAskill*, Katharine R. Smith*, Lewis Griffin, Josef T
Kittler (2010), NMDA receptors regulate GABAA receptor lateral mobility and clustering at inhibitory synapses through serine 327 on the γ2 subunit, PNAS, PMID:
20823221. *equal
contribution to the work.
Katharine R. Smith and Josef T Kittler (2010), The cell biology of synaptic inhibition in health and disease,
Current Opinion in Neurobiology, PMID: 20650630.
| Principle Investigator | |
| Katharine Smith, PhDAssociate Professor katharine.r.smith@cuanschutz.edu Education: Ph.D.- University College London, MSci- Imperial College London Hometown: London, UK
|
| Graduate Students | |
 | Sarah WolfeJune 2021 - Present
Neuroscience Graduate Student
Education: Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology from Towson University
Hometown: Joppa, MD
|
 | Amber StewartJune 2022 - Present
Pharmacology Graduate Student
Education: Bachelor of Science in Honors Chemistry from Towson University
Hometown: Glen Burnie, MD |
 | Theresa WelleJune 2019 - Present
Neuroscience Graduate Student
Education: Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology & Chemistry – University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Hometown: Urbana, IL |
| Professional Research Assistant | |
 | Sara GookinMay 2017 - Present Professional Research Assistant Education: Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering - Michigan Technological University Hometown: Byron, MI |
| Research Associate | |
 | Kevin Crosby, PhD2017 - Present Research Associate Education: Ph.D. Virginia Tech, 2008; Postdoc, University of Amsterdam 2009-2013 Hometown: New York City, NY |
| Alumni | |
 | Dipen Rajgor, PhDMarch 2018 - November 2020 Education: Ph.D.- King’s College London
Home town: London, UK |
 | Joshua GarciaMay 2017 - May 2023
Pharmacology Graduate Student
JOSHUA.D.GARCIA@CUANSCHUTZ.EDU Education: Bachelor of Science in Biology - University of New Mexico
Hometown: Mora, NM |
We are currently seeking highly motivated individuals for postdoctoral positions. Those with experience in one or more of the following areas are especially encouraged to apply: electrophysiology, cell biology, live cell imaging, optogenetics, and super-resolution imaging. A number of projects incorporate a broad range of techniques, concepts and new tools, offering outstanding training potential. To apply for a postdoc position in the lab, please email Dr. Smith directly.
Graduate students should arrange rotations through their respective graduate programs. Dr. Smith is currently a member of the University of Colorado Pharmacology, Neuroscience and BSP programs.