Katrina A. Smith, M.S.
140 Melstone Ct. Murfreesboro, TN 37127
615-653-1512 (cell)
katrina.a.smith@vanderbilt.edu
EDUCATION
Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN
June 2009 – December 2013
transferred from: University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry (earned May 2011)
Summa Cum Laude
Master of Science in Chemistry (earned December 2013)
Thesis Title: Synthesis of Cyclopropyl Peptidomimetics as BACE1 Inhibitors
Advisor: Dr. Norma K. Dunlap
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery
November 2012 – Present
Research Assistant II
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
 Conduct medicinal chemistry research on novel allosteric modulators for metabotropic glutamate
receptors (mGluR3, mGluR4 and mGluR5)
 Synthesis and analysis small molecule libraries to probe structure-activity relationships
 Optimization of several key intermediates toward the synthesis of potent compounds
 Communicate on daily basis with supervisor to set goals and determine next steps
 Extensive use of analytical instrumentation to aide in more efficient research such as liquid
chromatography mass spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy, and
automated flash chromatography
Middle Tennessee State University Department of Chemistry
September 2010–December 2013
Research student
Mentor: Dr. Norma K. Dunlap
Graduate Research Objectives:
 Synthesis of cycloproyl peptidometic compounds as β-secretase inhibitors
 Development of novel procedure to synthesize cyclopropyl ring into peptidomimetic backbone
 Focused on optimization of reaction methodology of nitro reduction followed by amide coupling
 Characterization of compounds by nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy
Mentor: Dr. Ngee Sing Chong
Undergraduate Research Objectives:
 Comparative analysis of enhancement effects due to different metal colloidal shapes and sizes of
carcinogenic aromatic amines’ Raman spectra
 Evaluate pH effects on carcinogenic aromatic amines using Surface-Enhanced Raman
spectroscopy
 Surface-enhanced vibrational spectral library set up and integration into research projects
GRITS: Girls Raised in Tennessee Science
August 2011 - Present
Leadership team member
 Educate parents and professionals across Tennessee about the National Girls Collaborative Project
by presentations and outreach programs
 Representative for GRITS at local and state Expanding Your Horizons Conferences, which
encourage girls to pursue math and science careers
First Step Program
May 2011, May 2012
Summer Immersion Chemistry Student Mentor
 In depth study to encourage students to pursue research and improve overall awareness of
scientific concepts and terminology
 Responsible for all group research activities including implementation and completion of daily
goals and overall project objectives
Bio Ventures, Inc.
Summer 2011
Research scientist
Summer objectives:
 Develop a suitable DNA marker for gel electrophoresis
 Extraction and purification of numerous enzymes
 Gel electrophoresis and DNA transformation
AFFILIATIONS and AWARDS
American Chemical Society member
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
Bio Ventures, Inc. scholarship recipient
Excellent academic achievement in chemistry
Tennessee Academy of Science Collegiate Meeting
First Place in Chemistry Division
MTSU Scholar’s Week
Second Place in Basic and Applied Science Division
November 2010 - Present
December 2010 - Present
April 2011
April 2011
April 2012
PRESENTATIONS
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Katrina A. Smith and Norma K. Dunlap Synthesis of Cyclopropyl Peptidomimetics as BACE1 Inhibitors, Public
Masters Defense, November 2013 (oral)
Katrina A. Smith, Ngee S. Chong, and Beng G. Ooi An Integrated Approach in the Use of Surface-Enhanced
Raman and Infrared Spectral Libraries for the Identification of Carcinogenic Aromatic Amines, Middle Tennessee
State University Scholar’s Week, April 2012 (poster)
Katrina A. Smith and Ngee S. Chong Application of Surface-Enhanced Infrared and Raman Spectroscopic
Analysis of Aromatic Amine, Nanoparticle Enhanced Spectroscopy: Division of Colloidal and Surface Chemistry at
the American Chemical Society National Meeting-San Diego, March 2012 (oral)
Katrina A. Smith, Julian Harbehband, and Ngee S. Chong Application of Silver and Gold Colloids for Highly
Sensitive Surface Enhanced Raman Spectrometric Determination of Aminobiphenyl Isomers, Tennessee Academy of
Science Collegiate Meeting, Belmont University, April 2011 (oral)
Katrina A. Smith, and Ngee S. Chong pH Dependence of Raman Spectral Signals of Aminobiphenyl Isomers
Adsorbed on Gold and Silver Colloidal Nanoparticles, Middle Tennessee State University Scholar’s Week, April
2011 (poster)
Katrina A. Smith, Kiran K. Donthula, Ngee S. Chong, and Beng G. Ooi Probing the Adsorption of Aminobiphenyl
Isomers Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy, Undergraduate Symposium at the American Chemical
Society National Meeting-Anaheim, March 2011 (oral)
Etsubdenk M. Fikremariam, Katrina A. Smith, Beng G. Ooi, and Ngee S. Chong Characterization of
Aminobiphenyl Isomers and Their Interactions with Calf Thymus DNA and Nucleotide Bases, Posters @ the Capitol,
Nashville, Tennessee, January 2011 (poster)
PUBLICATIONS
1.
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Norma K. Dunlap, Jacob Basham, Matthew Wright, Katrina A. Smith, Omar Chapa, Jihun Huang, Will Shelton,
and Yaroslav Yatsky Synthesis of Nitrocyclopropyl Peptidomimetics. Tetrahedron Lett. 2013, 54, 6596-6598.
(DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2013.09.106})
Cody J. Wenthur, Ryan Morrison, Andrew S. Felts, Katrina A. Smith, Julie L. Engers, Frank W. Byers, J. Scott
Daniels, Kyle A. Emmitte, P. Jeffrey Conn, and Craig W. Lindsley Discovery of (R)-(2-Fluoro-4-((-4-
3.
4.
methoxyphenyl)ethynyl)phenyl) (3-Hydroxypiperidin-1-yl)methanone (ML337), An mGlu3 Selective and CNS
Penetrant Negative Allosteric Modulator (NAM). J. Med. Chem. 2013, 56, 5208-5212. (DOI: 10.1021/jm400439t)
Ngee S. Chong, Katrina A. Smith, S. Setti, and Beng G. Ooi Evaluation of Gold and Silver Colloidal Nanoparticles
for the Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectrometric Analysis of Melamine and 4-Aminobiphenyl, Int. J. Environ. Tech.
Manag. 2013, 16, 3-20. (DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2013.050681)
Katrina A. Smith, Ngee S. Chong, Kiran Donthula, and Beng G. Ooi Influence of the Structural Characteristics of
Silver and Gold Nanoparticles on the Surface-Enhancement Factors of the Raman Signals of Aromatic Amines,
NanoFormulation Conference special issue Royal Society of Chemistry 2012: 121-132. (DOI:
10.1039/9781849735247-00121)