PhD Student
Department of Physiological Sciences
Interdisciplinary Toxicology
Expected year of graduation: 2016
Major advisor: Tara Sabo-Attwood
leycodysmith@gmail.com
Office location: CEHT Room 32
Lab location: CEHT Room 19
471 Mowry Road
Gainesville, FL 32611
(352) 294-4703
Education
- MS University of Florida, 2013
- BS Integrative Biology, University of Florida, 2010
Honors and Awards
- UF Graduate School Fellowship, Fall 2013
- 1st Place Graduate Student Research Award, Molecular Biology Specialty Section, Society of Toxicology, Spring 2013
Current Research
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are environmental contaminants which exert their toxic effects by interfering with normal hormonal signaling. My research focuses on the subclass of EDCs, xenoestrogens which interfere with the actions of endogenous estrogens through genomic and non-genomic pathways, thereby inducing inappropriate gene expression. Endocrine disruption by xenoestrogens is linked to impaired reproductive development, heart disease, and cancer. My research utilizes molecular biology-based techniques to elucidate novel mechanisms of xenoestrogen-mediated endocrine disruption.
Laboratory Experience
- MTT Assays
- Luciferase Assays
- qRT-PCR
- Protein Isolation
- Western Blots
- Cell Culture
Selected Presentations or Publications
- Jessica Clark, L. Cody Smith, Lee Ferguson, Tara Sabo-Attwood. Differential Recruitment of SRC-1 and SRC-3 to the Estrogen Receptor by Xenoestrogens.(In Review).
- Poster Presentation, Smith LC, Kimberly Ralston-Hooper, P. Lee Ferguson, and Tara Sabo-Attwood. Effects of GPER Activation on (xeno) Estrogen-Induced Cellular Responses. Society of Toxicology, San Antonio, TX, March 10-14, 2013.
- Poster Presentation, Smith LC, Ralston-Hooper K, Ferguson PL, Sabo-Attwood T. Novel Mechanisms of Endocrine Disruption: A Possible Role for GPER. I3 Graduate Student Research Day, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, October 23, 2012.
- Platform Presentation, Smith LC, Clark J, Ferguson PL and Sabo-Attwood T. Differential Recruitment of Estrogen Receptor Co-Activators by Xenoestrogens. AMCB Retreat, St. Augustine, FL, March 30-31, 2012.
- Poster Presentation, Smith LC, Clark J, Ferguson PL and Sabo-Attwood T. Differential Recruitment of Estrogen Receptor Co-Activators by Xenoestrogens. Society of Toxicology, San Francisco, CA, March 11-17, 2012.