Abbi Smith Email & Phone Number

I am studying the role of cholesterol binding of Smoothened and downstream hedgehog signaling in osteoarthritis development. I use 2D and 3D cell culture to generate and assess an osteoarthritis-like phenotype in chondrocyte cell lines. I am also investigating the hedgehog signaling pathway in zebrafish. In my previous lab I performed preclinical therapeutic research with genetically engineered mouse models of Neurofibromatosis Type 1 and Neurofibromatosis Type 2, which are genetic disorders that predispose patients to central and peripheral nervous system tumors. The tumor cell of origin for both of these disorders is the Schwann cell. Neurofibromatosis Type 1 can cause tumors to form in the peripheral nervous system, or in the brain, cranial nerves or spinal cord. Neurofibromatosis Type 2 often results in bilateral vestibular schwannomas, but can also cause tumors to form in the brain and spinal cord. My research involves investigating the biochemical pathways that may be potential targets for therapeutic intervention in both of these disorders.