Dr. Smita Iyer completed her Master’s degree at Purdue University and earned her Ph.D. at Emory University under the mentorship of Dr. Dean Jones and Dr. Mauricio Rojas in the Division of Pulmonary Medicine, where her research focused on delineating the role of cysteine redox states in lung inflammation. To deepen her understanding of the cellular mechanisms driving inflammation, she pursued postdoctoral training in Dr. Rafi Ahmed's lab at the Emory Vaccine Center, concentrating on T follicular helper (Tfh) cells.

To further investigate the role of Tfh cells in primate models, Dr. Iyer later joined Dr. Amara's lab at the Emory National Primate Research Center as a Research Associate, where she worked on macaque models of HIV. In 2017, she was recruited to the University of California, Davis to establish her research program. Dr. Iyer earned tenure in 2021 and was recruited to the University of Pittsburgh in 2023.

The Iyer Laboratory zeroes in on how T cells enhance antibody responses and contribute to neuroinflammation, especially in HIV and other infectious diseases. Her lab aims to uncover insights into immune mechanisms, helping us understand how T cells can be used for therapeutic advancements.

The lab's two main research foci are:

  1. Developing innovative vaccine strategies that target CD4 T follicular helper cells.

  2. Exploring the cellular basis of neuroinflammation with a specific focus on T cells.

In addition to leading her research program, Dr. Iyer is actively involved in teaching at the School of Medicine as a Longitudinal Educator in the Three Rivers Curriculum. She also serves as Co-Director of the Pitt Scientist Well-being Initiative.  In this role, she chairs faculty career-development initiatives and is keen on advancing three areas central to mid-career faculty development: (1) Research Program Development, (2) Leadership Development, and (3) Functional Development. Nationally, Dr. Iyer contributes to the HIV field through her roles as a member of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network Early-Stage Investigator Advisory Board and as a standing member of the HIVD Study Section.

In her free time, she enjoys hiking, visiting Cat Cafe’s, and browsing her local bookstore or library in search of a good read.