Davey Smith, MD, MAS

Davey Smith, MD, MAS, is a translational research virologist. He uses basic science techniques to answer clinically relevant questions and vice-versa. He works both at the UC San Diego Antiviral Research Center, and in his laboratory on the UC San Diego campus, where he performs bench research and is Co-Director of the San Diego CFAR and Co-Director of the CFAR Administrative Core.

Dr. Smith's primary research involves both the transmission of HIV (eg, molecular epidemiology, superinfection, biologic correlates of transmission) and HIV reservoir dynamics (eg, characterizing HIV shed from the genital tract and virus associated with neuropathology). These studies are in pursuit to understand the correlates that drive HIV transmission and persistence and find new ways to interrupt these mechanisms, including curative interventions. In 2010, Dr. Smith was named HIV Researcher of the Year by the HIV Medical Association, and in 2015 he was elected as a fellow to the American Society of Clinical Investigation and American College of Physicians.

Dr. Smith graduated from East Tennessee State University School of Medicine. He completed his internship, residency and chief residency in Internal Medicine at UC San Diego and stayed to complete his fellowship in Infectious Diseases. He joined the UC San Diego faculty in 2003. He was promoted to full professor in 2012. In 2017 he was promoted to Head of the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at UC San Diego. He holds the Florence Seeley Riford Chair in AIDS Research at UC San Diego School of Medicine.