astronomy

Louise Rollins-Smith

Louise Rollins-Smith is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Louise Rollins-Smith rather than just read about it. In short: Louise Rollins-Smith is a professor of biological sciences, professor of pediatrics, and a professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology at Vanderbilt University. She is known for her work investigating host-pathogen interactions using amphibians as model organisms.

Key takeaways

Louise Rollins-Smith belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
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Reproduce the core statement of Louise Rollins-Smith from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Louise Rollins-Smith is a professor of biological sciences, professor of pediatrics, and a professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology at Vanderbilt University. She is known for her work investigating host-pathogen interactions using amphibians as model organisms.

Education and career Rollins-Smith received her Bachelor's degree in Biology at Hamline University, Saint Paul, Minnesota, before completing a Masters and a Ph.D. in zoology at the University of Minnesota in 1977. Rollins-Smith was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Rochester before joining Vanderbilt University in 1984.

Research Rollins-Smith has studied disease and immunity in amphibians. Her early research was focused upon Lucké renal adenocarcinoma of leopard frogs, the development of immunological tolerance and immune changes at metamorphosis in frogs. Rollins-Smith has also studied the effects of immunotoxic and agricultural chemicals on amphibian immunity. Rollins-Smith's research has examined the link between widespread amphibian declines and the amphibian chytrid fungi, Bactrochochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), particularly in relation to amphibian immunity. Rollins-Smith has also become known for her work on amphibian skin antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Alongside her colleagues, she has provided evidence that the effectiveness of AMPs is a valuable predictor of amphibian species susceptibility to the Bd, and that AMPs are potent inhibitors of viral infection, including HIV infection of human T lymphocytes.

Selected publications Carey, Cynthia; Cohen, Nicholas; Rollins-Smith, Louise (1999-09-01). "Amphibian declines: an immunological perspective". Developmental & Comparative Immunology. 23 (6): 459–472. doi:10.1016/S0145-305X(99)00028-2. ISSN 0145-305X. PMID 10512457. Rollins-Smith, Louise A. (1998). "Metamorphosis and the amphibian immune system". Immunological Reviews. 166 (1): 221–230. doi:10.1111/j.1600-065X.1998.tb01265.x. ISSN 1600-065X. PMID 9914915. Woodhams, D. C.; Ardipradja, K.; Alford, R. A.; Marantelli, G.; Reinert, L. K.; Rollins-Smith, L. A. (2007). "Resistance to chytridiomycosis varies among amphibian species and is correlated with skin peptide defenses". Animal Conservation. 10 (4): 409–417. Bibcode:2007AnCon..10..409W. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.2007.00130.x. ISSN 1367-9430. Rollins-Smith, Louise A. (2009-08-01). "The role of amphibian antimicrobial peptides in protection of amphibians from pathogens linked to global amphibian declines". Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes. 1788 (8): 1593–1599. doi:10.1016/j.bbamem.2009.03.008. ISSN 0005-2736. PMID 19327341. Ramsey, Jeremy P.; Reinert, Laura K.; Harper, Laura K.; Woodhams, Douglas C.; Rollins-Smith, Louise A. (2010). "Immune Defenses against Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a Fungus Linked to Global Amphibian Declines, in the South African Clawed Frog, Xenopus laevis". Infection and Immunity. 78 (9): 3981–3992. doi:10.1128/iai.00402-10. PMC 2937463. PMID 20584973.

Honors and awards Rollins-Smith was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2015.

References

External links Louise Rollins-Smith publications indexed by Google Scholar Rollins-Smith Lab

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Louise Rollins-Smith

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Louise Rollins-Smith claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Louise Rollins-Smith before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Louise Rollins-Smith ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Louise Rollins-Smith

In research: Louise Rollins-Smith appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Louise Rollins-Smith in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Louise Rollins-Smith is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Hamline University alumni, Immunologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Louise Rollins-Smith outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Louise Rollins-Smith in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Louise Rollins-Smith in simple terms?

Why does Louise Rollins-Smith matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Louise Rollins-Smith?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Louise Rollins-Smith.