Cheyenne R Smith, PhD
Dr. Cheyenne Smith, a Postdoctoral Research Fish Biologist, has been engaged in research at the Eastern Ecological Science Center since she began her master's degree in 2015. Her work has primarily focused on developing techniques to assess immune function, aiming to enhance our understanding of disease mechanisms in wild fish.
Dr. Smith specializes in field-based immunotoxicology with a focus on non-model species. Her work centers on advancing immune function methods to better understand the mechanisms behind disease and mortality in wild fish populations. Dr. Smith has developed a diverse skill set that includes cell culture, in vitro assays, laboratory fish care, imaging flow cytometry, transcriptomics, and advanced statistical analysis, all of which she employs to further her research in understanding immune responses and mitigating threats to aquatic life.
Professional Experience
2024 - Present: Postdoctoral Research Fish Biologist, USGS EESC, Kearneysville, WV
2018 - 2024: Fish Health Biologist/Contractor, USGS EESC, Kearneysville, WV
2015 - 2018: Biological Science Technician/Contractor, USGS EESC, Kearneysville, WV
Education and Certifications
PhD, Forest Resources Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 2024
MS, Environmental Biology, Hood College, Frederick, MD, 2017
BS, Biology, Shenandoah University, Winchester, VA, 2014
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Fisheries Society, Fish Health Section
Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Immunotoxicology Interest Group and Steering Committee
Honors and Awards
Recipient of the Sniesko Student Travel Award for the AFS-FHS Meeting, 2019
Awarded 3rd Place for Best PhD Student Presentation at the SETAC-NA Meeting, 2021
Received Best Early Career Presentation Award at the AFS-FHS Summer Seminar Series, 2024
Science and Products
Application of a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mitogenesis assay in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) to augment wild fish health studies
The utility of a functional immune assay for smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) lymphocyte mitogenesis was evaluated. Wild populations in the Potomac River have faced disease and mortality with immunosuppression from exposure to chemical contaminants a suspected component. However, a validated set of immune parameters to screen for immunosuppression in wild fish populations is not available. P
Authors
Cheyenne R. Smith, Christopher Ottinger, Heather L. Walsh, Patricia M. Mazik, Vicki S. Blazer
Perfluoroalkyl substances in plasma of smallmouth bass from the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu is an economically important sportfish and within the Chesapeake Bay watershed has experienced a high prevalence of external lesions, infectious disease, mortality events, reproductive endocrine disruption and population declines. To date, no clear or consistent associations with contaminants measured in fish tissue or surface water have been found. Therefore,
Authors
Vicki S. Blazer, Stephanie Gordon, Heather L. Walsh, Cheyenne R. Smith
Production and characterization of a mouse monoclonal antibody against smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) IgM
A murine monoclonal antibody (mAb, IgG2a) was produced for the detection of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) immunoglobulin (IgM). The antibody is specific for IgM heavy chain and was shown to also recognize the Ig heavy chain of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) using Western Blot analysis of plasma from 9 teleost taxa. When applied to the analysis o
Authors
Christopher Ottinger, Cheyenne R. Smith, Vicki S. Blazer, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Mary Ann Vogelbein, Stephen Kaattari
Development of a suite of functional immune assays and initial assessment of their utility in wild smallmouth bass health assessments
Methods were developed for measuring immune function in Micropterus dolomieu (smallmouth bass). The ultimate objective is to monitor and evaluate changes over time in immune status and disease resistance in conjunction with other characteristics of fish health and environmental stressors. To test these methods for utility in ecotoxicological studies, 192 smallmouth bass, age 2 years and older, wer
Authors
Cheyenne R. Smith, Christopher A. Ottinger, Heather L. Walsh, Vicki S. Blazer
Malignant melanoma of Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) in Lake Memphremagog, Vermont/Quebec
In 2012, brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) with large, raised, black growths were first reported from multiple areas within the Vermont portion of Lake Memphremagog. Subsequent surveys conducted from 2014 to 2017 at two sites within the lake indicated a prevalence of 30% in adult brown bullhead 200 mm and above total length. These lesions ranged from slightly raised smooth black areas to large n
Authors
Vicki S. Blazer, Cassidy H. Shaw, Cheyenne R. Smith, P Emerson, Thomas R. Jones
In vitro immune function in laboratory-reared age-0 smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) relative to diet
Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) are used as an indicator species in environmental monitoring and assessment studies. However, laboratory-based studies for methods development and effector assessment are limited for this species. Nutrition, a known modulator of teleost physiological responses including immune function, is a critical knowledge-gap sometimes overlooked in the design of laborat
Authors
Christopher Ottinger, Cheyenne R. Smith, Vicki S. Blazer
Necropsy-based wild fish health assessment
Anthropogenic influences from increased nutrients and chemical contaminants, to habitat alterations and climate change, can have significant effects on fish populations. Adverse effects monitoring, utilizing biomarkers from the organismal to the molecular level, can be used to assess the cumulative effects on fishes and other organisms. Fish health has been used worldwide as an indicator of aquati
Authors
Vicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Ryan P. Braham, Cheyenne R. Smith
Science and Products
Application of a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mitogenesis assay in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) to augment wild fish health studies
The utility of a functional immune assay for smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) lymphocyte mitogenesis was evaluated. Wild populations in the Potomac River have faced disease and mortality with immunosuppression from exposure to chemical contaminants a suspected component. However, a validated set of immune parameters to screen for immunosuppression in wild fish populations is not available. P
Authors
Cheyenne R. Smith, Christopher Ottinger, Heather L. Walsh, Patricia M. Mazik, Vicki S. Blazer
Perfluoroalkyl substances in plasma of smallmouth bass from the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu is an economically important sportfish and within the Chesapeake Bay watershed has experienced a high prevalence of external lesions, infectious disease, mortality events, reproductive endocrine disruption and population declines. To date, no clear or consistent associations with contaminants measured in fish tissue or surface water have been found. Therefore,
Authors
Vicki S. Blazer, Stephanie Gordon, Heather L. Walsh, Cheyenne R. Smith
Production and characterization of a mouse monoclonal antibody against smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) IgM
A murine monoclonal antibody (mAb, IgG2a) was produced for the detection of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) immunoglobulin (IgM). The antibody is specific for IgM heavy chain and was shown to also recognize the Ig heavy chain of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) using Western Blot analysis of plasma from 9 teleost taxa. When applied to the analysis o
Authors
Christopher Ottinger, Cheyenne R. Smith, Vicki S. Blazer, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Mary Ann Vogelbein, Stephen Kaattari
Development of a suite of functional immune assays and initial assessment of their utility in wild smallmouth bass health assessments
Methods were developed for measuring immune function in Micropterus dolomieu (smallmouth bass). The ultimate objective is to monitor and evaluate changes over time in immune status and disease resistance in conjunction with other characteristics of fish health and environmental stressors. To test these methods for utility in ecotoxicological studies, 192 smallmouth bass, age 2 years and older, wer
Authors
Cheyenne R. Smith, Christopher A. Ottinger, Heather L. Walsh, Vicki S. Blazer
Malignant melanoma of Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) in Lake Memphremagog, Vermont/Quebec
In 2012, brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) with large, raised, black growths were first reported from multiple areas within the Vermont portion of Lake Memphremagog. Subsequent surveys conducted from 2014 to 2017 at two sites within the lake indicated a prevalence of 30% in adult brown bullhead 200 mm and above total length. These lesions ranged from slightly raised smooth black areas to large n
Authors
Vicki S. Blazer, Cassidy H. Shaw, Cheyenne R. Smith, P Emerson, Thomas R. Jones
In vitro immune function in laboratory-reared age-0 smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) relative to diet
Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) are used as an indicator species in environmental monitoring and assessment studies. However, laboratory-based studies for methods development and effector assessment are limited for this species. Nutrition, a known modulator of teleost physiological responses including immune function, is a critical knowledge-gap sometimes overlooked in the design of laborat
Authors
Christopher Ottinger, Cheyenne R. Smith, Vicki S. Blazer
Necropsy-based wild fish health assessment
Anthropogenic influences from increased nutrients and chemical contaminants, to habitat alterations and climate change, can have significant effects on fish populations. Adverse effects monitoring, utilizing biomarkers from the organismal to the molecular level, can be used to assess the cumulative effects on fishes and other organisms. Fish health has been used worldwide as an indicator of aquati
Authors
Vicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Ryan P. Braham, Cheyenne R. Smith
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government