Kevin Smith

Faculty Instructor
Humanities and Social Sciences
Psychology
smithk64@douglascollege.ca
N3318

About

I started at locally, earning my bachelor’s degree at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. I earned my PhD in behavioural neuroscience at the University of Ottawa under the supervision of Dr. Nafissa Ismail where I studied the organization and activation effects of pubertal hormones on the HPA (stress) and HPG (reproductive) axes. My doctoral research bridged industry, governmental organizations, and academia alike. Ranging from investigating the long-term effects of probiotics on immune responses with an industry partner to analyzing hormonal concentrations across the menstrual cycle with Dr. Vance Trudeau in the department of biology. I extended my expertise to the Department of National Defense where I published research on sex and gender as moderators of stress in military personnel. Ultimately, I am driven by the bidirectional relationship between biology and environment: how the brain shapes behavior, and how our surroundings, in turn, reshape the brain.

Teaching Concentrations 

Since entering formal academic teaching I have taught several courses and supervised many honours and research students.

Education and credentials

  • PhD, Ottawa
  • MA, Ottawa
  • BA, Kwantlen

Research summary

I am actively pursuing my research endeavours and I hope to continue building a lab of dedicated honours and research students at Douglas College who are interested in obtaining research publications and conference presentations in the following areas: Neuroendocrinology; Pubertal Development; Stress; Mood Disorders; Immunology; The Gut Microbiome; Environmental Enrichment; Sex Differences in the HPG and HPA axes.

Open to supervising honours students: Yes 

Publications and other research outputs

  • Lu, C., Peng, D., Smith, K. B., Uju, C., Unniappan, S., Duarte-Guterman, P., Ismail, N., & Trudeau, V. L. (2026). Periovulatory neurohormone dynamics reveal an association between secretoneurin and GnRH across the mouse estrous cycle. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 16, 1708570. DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1708570
  • Smith, K. B., Murack, M., Butcher, J., Hinterberger, A., Stintzi, A., Liang, J., Tata, D. A., & Ismail, N. (2025). Modulating effects of environmental enrichment on stress-induced changes in the gut microbiome. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health, 46, 101023. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101023 
  • Skomorovsky, A., Smith, K. B., & Chamberland, J. (2025). A healthy work environment and psychological distress among Canadian Armed Forces men and women. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 11(2), 84-94. DOI: 10.3138/jmvfh-2024-0047 
  • Smith, K. B., Murack, M., Al Sharani, S., & Ismail, N. (2024). Environmental enrichment cage for laboratory mice: A downloadable alternative. Current Protocols, 4, e913. DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.913 
  • Smith, K. B., Murack, M., & Ismail, N. (2023). The sex-dependent and enduring impact of pubertal stress on health and disease. Brain Research Bulletin, 200, 110701. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.110701 
  • Smith, K. B., Murack, M., & Ismail, N. (2023). The sex-dependent and enduring impact of pubertal stress on health and disease. Brain Research Bulletin, 200, 110701. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.110701 
  • Smith, K. B., Murray, E., Chandrasegaram, R., Liang, J., Mallet, J. F., Matar, C., Blaustein, J. D., & Ismail, N. (2021). Pubertal immune challenge suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in male and female mice. Brain Research Bulletin, 170, 90-97. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2021.02.006

Courses taught