Kylie Smith
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About
Kylie Smith is a postdoctoral scholar in the Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering at Michigan State University, where she works in Dr. Kurt Zinn’s laboratory. She earned her B.S. in Neuroscience from MSU and her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from MSU’s College of Engineering, with doctoral training focused on molecular imaging, radiochemistry, and translational neuroimaging tools. Her research centers on developing practical, high-throughput neuroimaging methods that are easy to implement and scalable across studies, with a particular emphasis on PET/MRI methodology. Her work focuses on repurposing FDA-approved agents as PET tracers to develop imaging biomarkers that enable early detection and intervention in neurodegeneration, including applications that use PET/MRI to study nose-to-brain transport into the brain and glymphatic and meningeal clearance out of the brain.
In addition to her research, Dr. Smith serves as Strategic Development Lead for MSU’s Clinical Innovations Program (CLIP) and as Manufacturing Facility Supervisor for the Radiochemistry and Radiopharmacy Solutions Core Facility (RadCore), where she works to identify and reduce barriers to translational and clinical research. She has also participated in an NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) regional training program, strengthening her approach to moving scientific ideas toward real-world impact. Dr. Smith is enthusiastic about science communication and outreach and actively participates in the Letters to a Pre-Scientist Program, motivated by a strong belief that accessibility in science deserves greater attention and intentional effort. Outside the lab, she enjoys hiking, all things making, and tending to her ever-growing collection of indoor plants.