Carolyn L. Smith PhD

Dr. Carolyn L Smith is a Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Urology at Baylor College of Medicine where she is also Senior Associate Dean of Graduate Education and Academic Program Development in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Smith attended the University of Toronto for her BSc, and completed her PhD biochemistry training at the University of Western Ontario, before undertaking postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine and then joining the faculty as an Assistant Professor in 1996. Dr. Smith’s research interests focus on the molecular pharmacology of estrogen receptors, regulation of gene expression by transcriptional coactivators and corepressors, tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer, and steroid hormone action in urothelial carcinomas. Dr Smith has served as the director of the Tissue and Cell Culture Core for the Center for Reproductive Biology and the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology since 1994, and has extensive experience in culturing established cell lines, isolation of primary cell cultures, and development of cell culture models (e.g. 3D culture models). She has published over 100 papers, and been continually funded by the NIH and other agencies since 1996. She has served on numerous study sections for the NIH, Department of Defense and the American Cancer Society most recently as a member of the Extramural Grants Council. Dr. Smith has mentored 6 PhD students and 24 postdoctoral fellows in her laboratory, and previously served as Assistant Dean for Curriculum, as well as leading Responsible Conduct of Research training for all Baylor College of Medicine graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Her current interests include administrative and academic approaches to modernizing graduate education programs.