Event Speakers' Biography
Matthew Lee Smith PhD, MPH, CHES, CHW-I, FGSA, FAAHB is a Professor (Associate) in the Texas A&M School of Public Health. As an evaluator, interventionist, and methodologist, his research addresses health risk across the life-course, chronic disease management, and the dissemination of evidence-based solutions for older adults. Dr. Smith has devoted his career to creating synergistic partnerships and initiatives to encourage positive lifestyles and reduce preventable morbidity and mortality. His translational work bridges research and practice issues across the health care sector, aging services network, and public health system.
Dr. Smith’s research efforts have been funded by organizations including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Administration for Community Living (ACL), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Texas Alzheimer’s Research and Care Consortium (TARCC). He has authored over 320 peer-reviewed publications in scholarly journals, received over 20 research-based awards, and delivered over 620 conference presentations and invited lectures.
In addition to developing measures to assess social disconnectedness risk, Dr. Smith serves on national scientific advisory councils and state task forces to address social isolation and loneliness. He also helped found the Texas Social Isolation and Loneliness Coalition (TX SILC), comprised of over 20 entities statewide.