Bladder Research Group
Lower urinary tract symptoms and dysfunction are prevalent in older adults and individuals with neurodegenerative conditions. The Bladder Research Group (BRG) was founded by Phillip P. Smith, M.D., as a way of furthering our scientific understanding of how the bladder functions in both health and disease, and in both young and aged systems. The BRG is a collaborative endeavor that leverages our expertise in urinary (bladder) physiology with that of experts in aging, neuroscience, immunology, cell biology, and physiology to help uncover fundamental processes involved in control of bladder function. We are open to collaborations and encourage you to reach out to any of our affiliated faculty and researchers.
Affiliated Faculty
Eric S. Levine, Ph.D.
Kevin J. Manning, Ph.D.
Paul Robson, Ph.D. (The Jackson Laboratory)
Phillip P. Smith, MD, FPMRS (in memoriam)
Ming Xu, Ph.D.
Riqiang Yan, Ph.D.
Latest Works and Funding
Publications
- Cuprizone-mediated demyelination reversibly degrades voiding behavior in mice while sparing brainstem reflex May 21, 2022Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, progressively debilitating demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Nearly 80% of MS patients experience lower urinary tract dysfunction early in their diagnosis. This significantly affects the quality of life, and in latter stages of disease is a leading cause of hospitalization. Previously, animal models have shown that […]
- Alzheimer's disease amyloidogenesis is linked to altered lower urinary tract physiology May 17, 2022CONCLUSIONS: Together, these data highlight the importance of addressing noncognitive sequelae of AD and offer novel translational insights into the debilitating impact of AD on LUTS and incontinence.
- The hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated channel resides on myocytes in mouse bladders and contributes to adrenergic-induced detrusor relaxation May 3, 2022Control of urinary continence is predicated on sensory signaling about bladder volume. Bladder sensory nerve activity is dependent on tension, implicating autonomic control over detrusor myocyte activity during bladder filling. Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) ion channels are known contributors to bladder control, but their mechanism of action is not well understood. The lack of a […]
- PART 2: Mouse models for multiple sclerosis research March 19, 2021Lower urinary tract symptoms and dysfunction (LUTS/LUTD) contribute to loss of quality of life, morbidity, and need for medical intervention in most patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Although MS is an inflammatory neurodegenerative disease, clinical manifestations including continence control disorders have traditionally been attributed to the loss of neural signaling due to neurodegeneration. Clinical approaches […]
- Animal modeling of lower urinary tract dysfunction associated with multiple sclerosis: Part I: Justification of the mouse model for MS research March 15, 2021Lower urinary tract symptoms and dysfunction (LUTS/LUTD) contribute to loss of quality of life, morbidity, and need for medical intervention in most patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Although MS is an inflammatory neurodegenerative disease, clinical manifestations including continence control disorders have traditionally been attributed to the loss of neural signaling due to neurodegeneration. Clinical approaches […]
- Aging Changes in Bladder Hyperpolarization-Activated Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels Are Associated With Increasing Heterogeneity of Adrenergic/Mucosal Influence on Detrusor Control in the Mouse March 11, 2021A geroscience-informed approach to the increasing prevalence of bladder control problems in older adults requires understanding the impact of aging on dynamic mechanisms that ensure resilience in response to stressors challenging asymptomatic voluntary control over urine storage and voiding. Bladder control is predicated on sensory neural information about bladder volume. Modulation of volume-induced bladder wall […]
Trainees and Researchers
Alya Al'Obaidi
Visiting Fullbright Scholar, University of Hartford
Smith Lab
Dylan Baker
Graduate Student
Robson Lab, The Jackson Laboratory
Cara C. Hardy, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Smith Lab
Fouad Lemtiri-Chlieh, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Levine Lab
Rama Ramasamy
Graduate Student
Smith Lab
Dawn Rosenberg
Graduate Student
Smith Lab
Eric Woon
Graduate Student
Smith Lab
Alumni
Nadav Mortman, M.D.
UConn Class of 2022
Phil Scarpa, M.S.
University of Hartford Class of 2021
The Smith Lab Legacy
Phillip P. Smith, M.D., was a proud Ohio-native, remarkable surgeon and clinician, and well-respected scientist. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Kenyon College (Gambier, OH) and his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH). Phil practiced as a gynecologist, then as a urogynecologist following his residency in Urology at Baylor (Waco, TX). Phil came to UConn in 2007 to join the Department of Surgery and eventually the UConn Center on Aging, where he conducted much of his research. Phil’s dedication to improving the lives of his patients eventually spilled over from his clinical practice, resulting in the founding laboratory of the BRG: the Smith Bladder Physiology Lab. His legacy lives on in the students and residents who had the pleasure of training with him, the research he trail blazed in the field of urinary aging, and the countless lives he touched along the way.