Lucas Smith , PhD

Lucas Smith has been an Assistant Professor at UC Davis since 2018 in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior with a joint appointment in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. His lab’s research is focused on understanding the mechanisms by which skeletal muscle adapts, with an emphasis on the fibrotic process associated with muscle pathologies. His lab employs multiple imaging, mechanical, and biochemical assays to uncover relationships between the structure of the extracellular matrix and both the mechanical function of muscle as well as the regenerative capacity of muscle stem cells. He holds a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego where he studied muscle adaptations in children with cerebral palsy. He went on to do postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania to studying fibrosis and regeneration in the context of muscular dystrophy. Prior to beginning his graduate work Lucas served as a logistics officer in the United States Air Force.