Dr. Kaitlan Smith is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at Campbell University's Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine, where her research focuses on the intersection of regulated cell death and neurodegeneration. Specifically, Dr. Smith investigates how necroptosis, a form of programmed inflammatory cell death, contributes to cerebellar dysfunction and degeneration in neurodegenerative diseases.

Her work began during her doctoral training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, where she earned her Ph.D. in Pharmacology. Her dissertation, "Genetic and Pharmacological Inhibitors of Necroptosis in STUB1-Dependent Ataxias," explored how modulating necroptotic signaling could alter the trajectory of neurodegeneration in disorders caused by STUB1 (CHIP) deficiency, such as SCAR16; a rare but devastating form of spinocerebellar ataxia. Using both genetic approaches and pharmacological inhibitors, Dr. Smith’s research demonstrated that inhibiting necroptosis may reduce inflammatory damage and neuronal loss, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative diseases that currently lack effective treatments.

Now a member of the UNC-Duke Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC), Dr. Smith continues to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying cerebellar degeneration across a range of neurodegenerative disorders. Her research focuses on how necroptotic signaling contributes to neuroinflammation, neuronal loss, and progressive cerebellar dysfunction in diseases such as spinocerebellar ataxia and alcohol-induced cerebellar degeneration. She is also exploring whether similar pathogenic mechanisms contribute to cerebellar dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease, a condition in which the cerebellum has historically been understudied despite increasing recognition of its role in cognition and behavior. Through these studies, Dr. Smith seeks to define shared pathways of cerebellar degeneration that may reveal new opportunities for therapeutic intervention across multiple neurodegenerative diseases.

In addition to her research, Dr. Smith is deeply engaged in mentoring students and future physician-scientists, ensuring that emerging healthcare professionals are equipped with both scientific insight and a strong foundation in evidence-based medicine.