Spencer LaVere Smith

Biography

Spencer LaVere Smith earned his undergraduate degree in physics and mathematics (U Iowa), and his Ph.D in neuroscience and neuroengineering (UCLA). After postdoctoral work at University College London, he started his own laboratory in the US in 2011. In 2018, Smith moved his laboratory to UCSB. His awards include a Klingenstein-Simons Fellowship (2013), a McKnight Technological Innovation Award (2015), and a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (2019).

Research

We are investigating neural circuitry in action using novel instrumentation. One half of the lab is neuroengineering new instrumentation for measuring and manipulating neural activity. The other half of the lab is using the technology to perform experiments and gain insights into how neural circuitry processes stimuli and drives adaptive behavior.