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Presence Current · Arkansas

Last published 2026

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Refreshed 2026-10-09

Mark S. Smeltzer

Sourced from institutional research profiles (UAMS TRI or ARA).

◆ ARA Academy Federal Grant PI High Impact

Infectious Disease Research - UAMS Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Inflammatory Responses

UAMS

Also affiliated: Arkansas Children's Hospital (2005); Kansas State University (1992–1994); University of Arkansas Medical Center (2019–2021); United States Army Medical Research and Development Command (2015); Zimmer Biomet (United States) (2016); University of Memphis (2016–2017)

Microbiology & Immunology, College of Medicine

56 h-index 169 pubs 11,340 cited

Research Areas

Biomedical Subjects

Links

ORCID Lab Website Research Group UAMS TRI Profile

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OverviewAI-generated summary

Mark S. Smeltzer investigates the pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus, with a particular focus on its ability to form biofilms and cause infections like osteomyelitis. His research explores the genetic and regulatory mechanisms that govern bacterial behavior, including gene expression and the release of extracellular DNA, which are crucial for biofilm development.

Smeltzer has secured significant federal funding for his work, including multiple awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) totaling over $2 million. These grants support his investigations into cellular metabolism, microbial pathogenesis, and the role of bacterial proteases in disease progression. He has also contributed to educational programs within the NIH framework.

His scholarly output includes over 160 publications, with an h-index of 56 and more than 11,000 citations, indicating a substantial impact in his field. Smeltzer leads a research group at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and collaborates with several colleagues within the institution, including Karen E. Beenken and Mara J. Campbell, on numerous shared publications.

Metrics

h-index: 56
Publications: 169
Citations: 11,340

Positions

Professor 2003–present

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Orthopaedic Surgery ORCID
Infectious Disease Research - UAMS Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Inflammatory Responses publications 1995–2026

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Microbiology & Immunology, College of Medicine Institutional directory
Associate Professor 2001–2003

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Orthopaedic Surgery ORCID
Assistant Professor 1999–2001

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Orthopaedic Surgery ORCID

Selected Publications

Osteomyelitis (2026)

Nature Reviews Disease Primers 6 citations DOI OpenAlex
A transcriptomic-driven segmentation and cell simulation framework for high-resolution spatial transcriptomics and cell-cell communication (2026)

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) DOI OpenAlex
Mechanistic insights into the pathogenesis and therapeutic recalcitrance of Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis (2026)

Clinical Microbiology Reviews 5 citations DOI OpenAlex
Lipolysis of host triacylglyceride-rich lipoproteins creates a toxic microenvironment for Staphylococcus aureus (2026)

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) DOI OpenAlex
Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm-Associated Infections: Have We Found a Clinically Relevant Target? (2025)

Microorganisms 19 citations DOI OpenAlex
Staphylococcus aureus Proteins Implicated in the Reduced Virulence of sarA and sarA/agr Mutants in Osteomyelitis (2025)

Microorganisms 6 citations DOI OpenAlex
The ability of sarA to limit protease production plays a key role in the pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis irrespective of the functional status of agr (2024)

Infection and Immunity 15 citations DOI OpenAlex
RANKL-mediated osteoclast formation is required for bone loss in a murine model of Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis (2024)

Bone 22 citations DOI OpenAlex
Increased production of aureolysin and staphopain A is a primary determinant of the reduced virulence of Staphylococcus aureus sarA mutants in osteomyelitis (2024)

mBio 13 citations DOI OpenAlex
Comparative evaluation of small molecules reported to be inhibitors of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation (2023)

Microbiology Spectrum 7 citations DOI OpenAlex
Cartilage-inspired surface textures for improved tribological performance of orthopedic implants (2022)

Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials/Journal of mechanical behavior of biomedical materials 6 citations DOI OpenAlex
The major role of sarA in limiting Staphylococcus aureus extracellular protease production is correlated with decreased virulence in diverse clinical isolates in osteomyelitis (2022)

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) DOI OpenAlex
Pyroptosis and pyroptosis-inducing cancer drugs (2022)

Acta Pharmacologica Sinica 161 citations DOI OpenAlex
Is amplification bias consequential in transposon sequencing (TnSeq) assays? A case study with a Staphylococcus aureus TnSeq library subjected to PCR-based and amplification-free enrichment methods (2021)

Microbial Genomics 2 citations DOI OpenAlex
Evaluation of a bone filler scaffold for local antibiotic delivery to prevent Staphylococcus aureus infection in a contaminated bone defect (2021)

Scientific Reports 26 citations DOI OpenAlex

View all publications on OpenAlex →

ARA Academy 2017 ARA Fellow

Dr. Smeltzer dedicates his research to combating Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterial pathogen responsible for approximately 20,000 American deaths annually. He focuses on bone infections and those involving indwelling orthopaedic devices. He also serves as Program Director of a COBRE promoting infectious disease research capacity at UAMS and central Arkansas.

Policy Impact

Leads a COBRE center promoting infectious disease research capacity in central Arkansas, generating NIH institutional funding and training biomedical researchers.

Growth Areas

['Population Health Innovations & Clinical Research']

Resources

Executive Summary PDF Discovery Economics Article Project Scope Video ARA Academy Profile

Federal Grants 4 $2,046,459 total

NIH Co-PI Jul 2026 - Jun 2031

Clinician Research Education and Scientific Training (CREST) Program

National Institute of General Medical Sciences $269,148 T32

NIH Contact PI May 2022 - Apr 2027

Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Inflammatory Responses

National Institute of General Medical Sciences $1,140,000 P30

NIH Contact PI Jun 2015 - Aug 2027

Defining the role of post-translational regulation by extracellular proteases in the pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases $451,739 R01

NIH Contact PI Aug 2012 - Apr 2023

Shared Resource to Investigate Cellular Metabolism

National Institute of General Medical Sciences $185,572 P20

Research Interests

Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcal infection, Osteomyelitis, Biofilm, Regulation

Grants & Funding

As listed on this researcher's institutional profile. Federal awards with verified records are shown above.

sarA as a Target for the Treatment and Prevention of Staphylococcal Biofilm-Associated Infection US Department of the Army Principal Investigator
sar-mediated regulation in Staphylococcus aureus NIH Principal Investigator
Capsule regulatory network in S. aureus pathogenesis NIH Co-Investigator
Biofilm Dissemination in Staphylococcus aureus NIH/Nat. Inst. of Allergy & Infectious Diseases via University of Southern Mississippi Principal Investigator
Investigating a Flexible, Degradable Local Antimicrobial Delivery System - Continuation - Continuation DHHS - Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority via University of Memphis Principal Investigator
Chitosan films for prevention of wound infections US Department of the Army Principal Investigator
Identification of Novel Regulatory Elements Contributing to Virulence in Staphylococcal Endocarditis American Heart Association Principal Investigator
Controlled Delivery of Cis-2-decenoic Acid for the Prevention of Infection by Bacterial Biofilms US Department of Defense Principal Investigator

Daptomycin as an antimicrobial agent in the treatment of staphyloccal biofilm-associated infection Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Principal Investigator
INfection Prevention Through Implant Coating Biomet Manufacturing, LLC via University of Memphis Principal Investigator
Advanced Development and Validation of a Nanomaterial-Based Scaffold for Bone Regeneration and Antimicrobial Drug Delivery Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs via University of Arkansas at Little Rock Principal Investigator
Detection, diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal infection NIH Principal Investigator
ADHESINS AND STAPHYLOCOCCAL OSTEOMYELITIS NIH Principal Investigator
Regulation of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm by Rbf NIH Co-Investigator
Novel linear lipopeptide paenipeptins sensitize multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens to antibiotics - Continuation Year 2020-2021 NIH/Nat. Inst. of Allergy & Infectious Diseases Co-Investigator
A nanotherapeutic approach to combat staphylococcal biofilm-associated infection NIH Principal Investigator
A Novel Human Lung Infection Platform to Define Staphylococcus aureus Virulence Determinants NIH Co-Investigator
Genetic Manipulation of sarA Mutants US Department of Agriculture Principal Investigator
Understanding the Antimicrobial Mechanism of Metal Nanoparticles using Super Resolution Fluorescence Microscopy National Science Foundation via University of Arkansas at Fayetteville Principal Investigator
Investigating a Flexible, Degradable Local Antimicrobial Delivery System DHHS - Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority via University of Memphis Principal Investigator
Regulation of biofilm formation in clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus NIH Principal Investigator
Antibiotic-Loaded Biopolymer Sponge for Prevention of Polymicrobial Wound Infection US Department of Defense via University of Memphis Principal Investigator
Enhancing the prevention and treatment of orthopaedic infections associated with traumatic injury US Department of Defense Principal Investigator
Smeltzer Start Up Account UAMS College of Medicine Principal Investigator
Advanced Development and Testing of a Nanomaterial-Based Scaffold for Bone Regeneration and Drug Delivery U.S. Army Medical Research & Material Command via University of Arkansas at Little Rock Principal Investigator