Roman Smidak
Project Scientist, Gillespie Neuroscience Research Facility, University of California, Irvine
Biography
Roman Smidak, Ph.D., is a Project Scientist at the Gillespie Neuroscience Research Facility at the University of California, Irvine. His research focuses on molecular determinants that preserve rod photoreceptor function and structure, as well as optimization of gene therapy approaches for treatment of inherited retinal disorders. Smidak received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Smidak's research career has spanned multiple institutions across Europe and the United States. Prior to joining UC Irvine in 2020, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Medical University and University of Vienna, where he investigated signaling molecules in rat brain regions related to learning and cognitive deficits during normal aging. His work has encompassed diverse areas including proteomics, gene editing using CRISPR-based tools, and behavioral neuroscience in rodent models.
Smidak has contributed to over 20 peer-reviewed publications in journals including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature Biomedical Engineering, and Journal of Biological Chemistry. His technical expertise includes advanced molecular biology techniques, mass spectrometry-based proteomics, gene editing, and animal models for vision research. He has developed proficiency in bioinformatics analysis for proteomics and transcriptomics data, as well as computer programming for data analysis applications.
Return to topEducation
- Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 2010
- M.Sc. in Molecular Biology, Comenius University, 2003
- B.A. in Molecular Biology, Comenius University, 2001
Areas of Expertise
- Molecular Neuroscience
- Synaptic Protein Regulation
- Cognitive Aging Mechanisms
- Lipidomics in Brain Tissue
- Retinal Gene Therapy
- CRISPR Base Editing
- Photoreceptor Cell Biology
Recent Publications
- Lin S., Cancellieri F., Cao Y., Lotery A.J., Moye A.R., Vaclavik V., Perren F., Poplawski A.B., Schiff E.R., Ullah M., Iglesias-Romero A.B., Kaminska K., Jestin A., Folcher M., Wallerich S., Ribeiro M.M., Hahaut V., Picelli S., Mustafi D., Tworak A., et al., “Bi-allelic variants in FSD1L cause retinitis pigmentosa with or without neurological involvement” (opens in new tab), American Journal of Human Genetics, vol. 113, pp. 616-626, 2026.
- Tworak A, Smidak R, Rodrigues Menezes C, Du S W, Suh S, Choi E H, Imanishi S S, Dong Z, Lewandowski D, Fong K E, Grigorean G, Pinto A F, Xu Q, Blackshaw S, Imanishi Y, Palczewski K, “MFRP is a molecular hub that organizes the apical membrane of RPE cells by engaging in interactions with specific proteins and lipids” (opens in new tab), Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 122, no. 16, pp. e2425523122, 2025.
- Bassetto M., Hu Y., Li B., Chen X., Saraswat V., Damacio F., Smidak R., Palczewski K., Tochtrop G.P., Kiser P.D., “Rationally Designed, Short-Acting RPE65 Inhibitors for Visual Cycle-Associated Retinopathies” (opens in new tab), Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, vol. 68, pp. 17638-17652, 2025.
- Hołubowicz R, Du S W, Felgner J H, Smidak R, “Safer and efficient base editing and prime editing via ribonucleoproteins delivered through optimized nanoparticle formulations” (opens in new tab), Nature Biomedical Engineering, vol. 9, pp. 57-78, 2024.
- Hong JD, Salom D, Choi EH, Du SW, Tworak A, Smidak R, Gao F, Solano YJ, Zhang J, Kiser PD, Palczewski K, “Retinylidene chromophore hydrolysis from mammalian visual and non-visual opsins” (opens in new tab), Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 300, no. 3, pp. 105678, 2024.
- Lewandowski D, Foik T A, Smidak R, Choi H E, Zhang J, “Inhibition of Ceramide Accumulation in AdipoR1-/- Mice Increases Photoreceptor Survival and Improves Vision” (opens in new tab), JCI Insight, vol. 7, pp. e156301, 2022.
- Korz V, Kremslehner C, Maliković J, Hussein A, Feyissa DD, Nagelreiter IM, Smidak R, Plasenzotti R, Gruber F, Lubec G, “Striatal Transcriptome Reveals Differences Between Cognitively Impaired and Unimpaired Aged Male Rats” (opens in new tab), Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, vol. 12, pp. 611572, 2021.
- Esteves FG, Dos Santos-Pinto JRA, Ferro M, Sialana FJ, Smidak R, Rares LC, Nussbaumer T, Rattei T, Bilban M, Bacci Júnior M, Lubec G, Palma MS, “Revealing the Venomous Secrets of the Spider's Web” (opens in new tab), Journal of Proteome Research, vol. 19, pp. 3044-3059, 2020.
- Pretsch G, Sanadgol N, Smidak R, Lubec J, Korz V, Höger H, Zappe K, Cichna-Markl M, Lubec G, “Doublecortin and IGF-1R protein levels are reduced in spite of unchanged DNA methylation in the hippocampus of aged rats” (opens in new tab), Amino Acids, vol. 52, pp. 543-553, 2020.
- Dos Santos-Pinto JRA, Esteves FG, Sialana FJ, Ferro M, Smidak R, Rares LC, Nussbaumer T, Rattei T, Bilban M, Bacci Júnior M, Palma MS, Lubec G, “A proteotranscriptomic study of silk-producing glands from the orb-weaving spiders” (opens in new tab), Molecular Omics, vol. 15, pp. 256-270, 2019.
- Lubec J, Smidak R, Malikovic J, Feyissa DD, Korz V, Hoeger H, Lubec G, “Dentate gyrus peroxiredoxin 6 levels discriminate aged unimpaired from impaired rats in a spatial memory task” (opens in new tab), Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, vol. 11, pp. 198, 2019.
- Sialana FJ, Ribeiroda Silva Menegasso A, Smidak R, Hussein AM, Zavadil M, Rattei T, Lubec G, Sergio Palma M, Lubec J, “Proteome changes paralleling the olfactory conditioning in the forager honey bee and provision of a brain proteomics dataset” (opens in new tab), Proteomics, vol. 19, pp. e1900094, 2019.
- Malikovic J, Vuyyuru H, Koefeler H, Smidak R, Hoeger H, Kalaba P, Hussein AM, Lubec G, Korz V, “Moderate differences in common feeding diets change lipid composition in the hippocampal dentate gyrus and affect spatial cognitive flexibility in male rats” (opens in new tab), Neurochemistry International, vol. 128, pp. 215, 2019.
- Sialana FJ, Wang AL, Fazari B, Kristofova M, Smidak R, Trossbach SV, Korth C, Huston JP, de Souza Silva MA, Lubec G, “Quantitative proteomics of synaptosomal fractions in a rat overexpressing human DISC1 gene indicates profound synaptic dysregulation in the dorsal striatum” (opens in new tab), Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, vol. 11, pp. 26, 2018.
- Smidak R, Sialana FJ, Kristofova M, Stojanovic T, Rajcic D, Malikovic J, Feyissa DD, Korz V, Hoeger H, Wackerlig J, Mechtcheriakova D, Lubec G, “Reduced levels of the synaptic functional regulator FMRP in dentate gyrus of the aging Sprague-Dawley rat” (opens in new tab), Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, vol. 9, pp. 384, 2017.
- Smidak R, Kofeler HC, Hoeger H, Lubec G, “Comprehensive identification of age-related lipidome changes in rat amygdala during normal aging” (opens in new tab), PLoS One, vol. 12, pp. e0180675, 2017.
- Smidak R, Aradska J, Kirchberger S, Distel M, Sialana FJ, Wackerlig J, Mechtcheriakova D, Lubec G, “A detailed proteomic profiling of plasma membrane from zebrafish brain” (opens in new tab), Proteomics Clinical Applications, vol. 10, pp. 1264-1268, 2016.
- Smidak R, Mayer RL, Bileck A, Gerner C, Mechtcheriakova D, Stork O, Lubec G, Li L, “Quantitative proteomics reveals protein kinases and phosphatases in the individual phases of contextual fear conditioning in the C57BL/6J mouse” (opens in new tab), Behavioural Brain Research, vol. 303, pp. 208-217, 2016.
- Bulat T, Smidak R, Sialana FJ, Jung G, Rattei T, Bilban M, Sattmann H, Lubec G, Aradska J, “Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis of Arion vulgaris - Proteins for probably successful survival strategies?” (opens in new tab), PLoS One, vol. 11, pp. e0150614, 2016.
- Turkovicova L, Smidak R, Jung G, Turna J, Lubec G, Aradska J, “Proteomic analysis of the TerC interactome: Novel links to tellurite resistance and pathogenicity” (opens in new tab), Journal of Proteomics, vol. 136, pp. 167-173, 2016.
Most Cited Publications
- Aradska J, Smidak R, Turkovicova L, Turna J, Lubec G, “Proteomic differences between tellurite-sensitive and tellurite-resistant E.coli” (opens in new tab), PLoS One, vol. 8, pp. e78010, 2013.
- Smidak R, Kralovicova M, Sevcikova B, Jakubcova M, Kormanec J, Timko J, Turna J, “Sequence analysis and gene amplification study of the penicillin biosynthesis gene cluster from different strains of Penicillium chrysogenum” (opens in new tab), Biologia, vol. 65, pp. 1-6, 2010.
- Smidak R, Jopcik M, Kralovicova M, Gajdosikova J, Kormanec J, Timko J, Turna J, “Core promoters of the penicillin biosynthesis genes and quantitative RT-PCR analysis of these genes in high and low production strain of Penicillium chrysogenum” (opens in new tab), Folia Microbiol (Praha), vol. 55, pp. 126-132, 2010.
This profile was created with the help of AI.
Last updated on 4/2/2026.