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School of Health Research

Faculty Scholars

Faculty Scholar Kerry S. Smith, Ph.D. < at Clemson University, Clemson South Carolina

Kerry S. Smith, Ph.D..

Professor
Department of Genetics and Biochemistry
College of Science
Director, Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovations Center (EPIC)
864-656-6935 or kssmith@clemson.edu

About

Kerry Smith is a professor in the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry. He also serves the director of EPIC, an interdisciplinary research center that is on the forefront of biomedical research in eukaryotic pathogens, the causative agents of some of the most devastating diseases of humans. Kerry’s primary research interests include fungal pathogenesis, metabolism, host-pathogen interactions, and enzymology.

Visit Dr. Smith's Department Profile, the EPIC Website or his Lab Website

How their research is transforming health care

Smith is striving to transform the way the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans, the most frequent cause of fungal meningitis, is understood and treated. Invasive fungal infections cause nearly one and a half million deaths annually, accounting for nearly 50% of all AIDS-related deaths. C. neoformans is responsible for nearly half of the invasive fungal infections. The Smith lab is working to understand the role of carbon metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis in the virulence of C. neoformans.

News and media related to their research

Health Research Expertise Keywords

Faculty Scholar, Pathogens, Infectious Disease, Fungal Pathogenesis, Metabolism, Host-Pathogen Interactions, Enzymes

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