Dr. Smith is the chief of the Division of Molecular Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Smith is an endocrinologist who is interested in diseases of the thyroid. His research involves examining the role of orbital fibroblasts in the pathogenesis of Graves ' ophthalmopathy. He is exploring the fibroblasts genes that are regulated in response to pro-inflammatory cytokines and other potential disease mediators. Another focus of his program is the organization and regulation of the extracellular matrix. Hyaluronan, a glycosaminoglycan that accumulates in ophthalmopathy, is an important component of the extracellular matrix. The regulation of the hyaluronan synthase genes in orbital fibroblast is being studied presently.