PhD Student
Indiana University School of Medicine
Tayler B. Smith is a predoctoral student in Medical and Molecular Genetics at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Her studies focus on pharmacogenomics and its implementation under the mentorship of Todd Skaar, PhD. Her current research integrates pharmacogenomics, bioinformatics, and clinical informatics to explore how genetic variability impacts drug response, with a focus on improving health outcomes for advanced cancer patients.
Tayler began her research career in exercise physiology while earning her Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior at the University of California, Davis. After graduation, she transitioned into the clinical diagnostics field, contributing to COVID-19 efforts at a bioscience startup during the 2020 pandemic. During this time, she developed a passion for genetics while sequencing SARS-CoV-2. This passion grew as she transitioned to anoher company to lead a sequencing laboratory.
Driven by her growing interest in genetics and genomics, Tayler entered the Indiana Biomedical Gateway program at IU School of Medicine in 2022. After completing her lab rotations, she joined Dr. Skaar’s lab in 2023, where she in studying how genetic variations influence drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and transport (ADMET).
Tayler’s current training in pharmacogenetics, combined with her multidisciplinary background, supports her goal of improving health outcomes by leveraging rich genetic and medical record data. She strives to dedicate her career to advancing precision medicine and translating genomic insights into clinical practice.