The Smith Lab is a biochemistry and biophysics group at Texas Tech University. Our research goal is to understand how cells communicate at the molecular level. We focus on the early steps of cell signaling near the cell surface. Specifically, we study the organization and interactions of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) as well as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).

Our research is highly interdisciplinary and requires a wide range of skills and expertise. We regularly collaborate with structural biologists, cell biologists, chemists, and translational researchers. Our goal is to establish relationships between the structure and function of membrane proteins, enhancing our knowledge of cell signaling and opening up new possibilities for drug development.