SMOOTH (Skin & Mucosal Microbes Omics-based Total Health) Laboratory is an interdisciplinary research facility integrating skin microbiome big data with artificial intelligence, affiliated with Southern Medical University.

The team focuses on multiple domains including skin microbiome and regeneration, barrier repair, wound healing, dermatological diseases, skin-flexible materials, and microbiome big data analytics. We have established multiple large-scale clinical cohorts, curated tens of thousands of clinical raw datasets (totaling ~600TB), and maintain four dedicated servers. Our infrastructure includes a full suite of microbiome research equipment and technologies, supported by specialized bioinformatics personnel. Currently, several major projects are ongoing. Since its establishment three years ago, the team has published numerous first-author papers in high-impact journals and their sub-journals. We particularly welcome candidates with strong backgrounds in big data analysis and microbiome research to join our team!

Recent Papers
Phytic Acid Improves the Skin Barrier Function in Murine Models of Atopic Dermatitis Through Skin Microbiota-Derived Indole-3-Propionic Acid​
Piao Wang, Lan Yang, Lu Chen, Xinyu Huang, Zhen Lin, Yue Li, Caiyu Qi, Tianren Xu, Jianglin Zhang, Min Qi, Biao Cheng, Junjie Wang, Zhiqi Hu, Gaofeng Wang, Allergy (2025).
Published 09 Jul 2025
Immunotyping the Tumor Microenvironment Reveals Molecular Heterogeneity for Personalized Immunotherapy in Cancer​
Dongqiang Zeng, Yunfang Yu, Wenjun Qiu, Qiyun Ou, Qianqian Mao, Luyang Jiang, Jianhua Wu, Jiani Wu, Huiyan Luo, Peng Luo, Wenchao Gu, Na Huang, Siting Zheng, Shaowei Li, Yonghong Lai, Xiatong Huang, Yiran Fang, Qiongzhi Zhao, Rui Zhou, Huiying Sun, Wei Zhang, Jianping Bin, Yulin Liao, Masami Yamamoto, Tetsuya Tsukamoto, Sachiyo Nomura, Min Shi, Wangjun Liao​, Advanced Science 12 (15) :e2417593​​ (2025).
Published 28 May 2025
The Role of Skin-Gut-Lung Microbiome in Allergic Diseases
Lan Yang, Zhen Lin, Ting Gao, Piao Wang, Gaofeng Wang, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice 13 (5) :S2213-2198(25)00410-6 (2025).
Published 02 May 2025
Projects
The NeuroStore Ecosystem
An interconnected set of open source tools for large-scale meta-analysis.
SEAAS: Social and Emotional Aspects of Academic Success
How do individuals with high functioning autism spectrum disorder perform social processing?
MIP: Motivation and Imaging Pilot
How do adolescents perform effort-based decision making?
DIVA: Dense investigation of variability in affect
What can we learn from dense sampling of individuals?
PyMARE: Python Meta-Analysis & Regression Engine
A Python library for mixed-effects meta-regression (including meta-analysis).
NiMARE: Neuroimaging Meta-Analysis Research Environment
A Python package for neuroimaging meta-analysis that provides a shared syntax for a range for algorithms.
News
Dr. Laird inducted into the AIMBE College of Fellows

Dr. Laird was inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering College of Fellows

Posted 02 Apr 2024
Lab members attend the GSAW 2024

Dr. Laird, Julio, Donisha, and Chloe attend GSAW 2024 at FIU.

Posted 01 Apr 2024
Taylor Salo defends dissertation

Graduate student Taylor Salo has successfully defended his dissertation

Posted 27 Jun 2022
Brianna Pankey defends dissertation

Graduate student Brianna Pankey has successfully defended her dissertation

Posted 03 Nov 2021
Katie Bottenhorn defends dissertation

Graduate student Katie Bottenhorn has successfully defended her dissertation

Posted 24 Jun 2021