Kirsten Smith, PhD

Kirsten Smith, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit (BPRU) within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. After earning her Masters in Social Work from the University of Kentucky and Ph.D. from the University of Louisville, Dr. Smith completed a 4-year postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program in the Translational Addiction Medicine Branch. There, Dr. Smith lead a Phase II clinical trial examining the opioid withdrawal-suppressing effects of an experimental partial mu opioid agonist (TRV734). She also completed her NIDA K99-funded project that involved a national ecological momentary assessment of daily kratom use and a controlled kratom self-administration substudy that examined acute effects of commercial kratom products. Her current NIDA R00-funded study at BPRU is characterizing the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of kratom and spontaneous kratom withdrawal among chronic consumers. Dr. Smith has recently launched a pilot clinical trial investigating acute effects from kratom extracts. Dr. Smith plans to continue her kratom research by investigating the safety, tolerability, and human abuse potential of kratom in healthy adults using both standardized whole-leaf formulations and isolated alkaloids.