Peter G. Smith, PhD was born in Boston, attended the University of New Hampshire, and received a PhD in physiology and pharmacology from Duke University.  He was appointed Research Assistant Professor at Duke in 1982, associate professor at KUMC in 1987, and professor in 1993. He is an Established Investigator of the American Heart Association and has received over 40 years of continuous NIH funding, publishing more than 120 original peer-reviewed research papers.  His research focuses on neuroplasticity and repair of the mammalian nervous system under a variety of conditions including myocardial infarction, menopause, inflammatory pain, and neurodevelopmental disorders.  Smith has served as director of the Kansas Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center operations on the Kansas City campus since 2003, founded the Institute for Neurological Discoveries, and served as Interim Chair of Molecular and Integrative Physiology. He’s received many awards and honors including the KU SOM Faculty Investigator Research Award, the Chancellor’s Club Research Award, the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award, and the Jayhawk Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award.  He currently holds the Wineinger endowed professorship and serves as Senior Associate Dean for Research in the School of Medicine and as Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Research at KU Medical Center. Peter G. Smith, PhD was born in Boston, attended the University of New Hampshire, and received a PhD in physiology and pharmacology from Duke University.  He was appointed Research Assistant Professor at Duke in 1982, associate professor at KUMC in 1987, and professor in 1993. He is an Established Investigator of the American Heart Association and has received over 40 years of continuous NIH funding, publishing more than 120 original peer-reviewed research papers.  His research focuses on neuroplasticity and repair of the mammalian nervous system under a variety of conditions including myocardial infarction, menopause, inflammatory pain, and neurodevelopmental disorders.  Smith has served as director of the Kansas Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center operations on the Kansas City campus since 2003, founded the Institute for Neurological Discoveries, and served as Interim Chair of Molecular and Integrative Physiology. He’s received many awards and honors including the KU SOM Faculty Investigator Research Award, the Chancellor’s Club Research Award, the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award, and the Jayhawk Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award.  He currently holds the Wineinger endowed professorship and serves as Senior Associate Dean for Research in the School of Medicine and as Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Research at KU Medical Center.