Dr. Smith’s lab focuses on the pathogenesis of severe malaria and is investigating new approaches for repairing and stabilizing the endothelial barrier integrity following hyperinflammatory injury. Cerebral malaria is a life-threatening complication caused by sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells in the brain microvasculature. This syndrome leads to microvascular obstruction, vascular inflammation, breakdown of the blood-brain barrier, and brain swelling. The Smith lab studies how parasite binding tropism for brain and other blood vessels is orchestrated by the parasite adhesion ligand family. To investigate disease mechanisms in cerebral malaria, we apply bioengineered 3D human brain microvessels for studying the malaria-vessel wall interaction and collaborate with investigators in Africa to study pediatric cerebral malaria cohorts. In related research, we are investigating the signaling mechanisms that regulate endothelial barrier properties and evaluating drug-repurposing of kinase inhibitors to treat vascular dysfunction.