University of Kansas · PharmacologySmith Lab
Adam Steven Smith · Lawrence, Kansas
Research Focus
Dr. Adam Steven Smith's lab at the University of Kansas Lawrence focuses on understanding the effects of social loss on the brain, particularly in the context of losing a partner. Using a prairie vole model, the lab investigates how such losses impact emotional and motivational states, aiming to uncover the neurobiological mechanisms behind prolonged grief and develop potential therapeutic interventions. The research combines behavioral studies with neuroscience to provide insights into the brain's response to emotional trauma related to social connections.
social losspartner lossneurobiologymental healthmesolimbic systemgriefanimal modelsneuromodulationdopamine
Research Aims
3AIM 01Develop a reliable animal model for studying social loss using prairie voles.
AIM 02Examine the changes in mesolimbic circuits following partner loss.
AIM 03Investigate the role of dopamine in the behavioral symptoms of grief.
Skills the Lab Values
animal behavior assessmentbrain imaging techniquespharmacological interventionsphotostimulation techniquesgene expression analysissurgery for implantable devicesbehavioral assaysdata analysisresearch designstatistical modeling
Output against the department
Publications66bottom 13% of dept.401st of 462
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations2.2kbottom 16% of dept.390th of 462
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.