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Douglas H. Smith, MD
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Robert A. Groff Professor of Teaching and Research in Neurosurgery
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Director , Center for Brain Injury and Repair, University of Pennsylvania
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Department: Neurosurgery
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Graduate Group Affiliations
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- Bioengineering e
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Contact information
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105 Hayden Hall
37 3320 Smith Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6316
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37 3320 Smith Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6316
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Office: 215-573-3156
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Publications
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Links
b7 Search PubMed for articles
64 Smith Neurotrauma Lab
82 CONNECT-TBI, a Multi-Site NIH/NINDS Grant Project
77 Penn Center for Brain Injury and Repair (CBIR)
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b7 Search PubMed for articles
64 Smith Neurotrauma Lab
82 CONNECT-TBI, a Multi-Site NIH/NINDS Grant Project
77 Penn Center for Brain Injury and Repair (CBIR)
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Education:
21 7 BS 14 (Biology) c
32 University of Connecticut, 1981.
21 7 MD 15 (Medicine) c
2e University of Noreste, 1986.
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Permanent link21 7 BS 14 (Biology) c
32 University of Connecticut, 1981.
21 7 MD 15 (Medicine) c
2e University of Noreste, 1986.
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26d Dr. Smith holds prominent leadership roles internationally. He currently serves as President-elect of the National Neurotrauma Society and as Scientific Director of the Big Ten/Ivy League Collaboration on Concussion. He is also a member of the Scientific Advisory Boards for the National Football League (NFL), the NCAA–Department of Defense (DoD) Concussion Consortium, and the International Concussion Society. Additionally, he serves as an inaugural trustee of the Mind Your Brain Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting TBI survivors and their caregivers through education and outreach.
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236 His groundbreaking research has advanced the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of concussion. His team discovered that concussion symptoms arise from physical and functional damage to nerve fibers (axons), disrupting electrical communication across brain networks. They also identified blood biomarkers of axonal injury that can predict recovery time. Furthermore, his group was the first to reveal how concussion and more severe TBI can lead to progressive neurodegeneration, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and Alzheimer’s disease.
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136 Dr. Smith’s expertise garnered the attention of the U.S. State Department, which tasked him with leading a team to investigate unexplained neurological symptoms affecting U.S. embassy personnel in Cuba. Their findings led to the identification of a newly recognized disorder known as Havana Syndrome.
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103 Dr. Smith has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed scientific publications, which are among the most highly cited in the field, earning him an h-index of over 90. His research excellence has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including:
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64 • The Dorothy Russell Medal, the highest honor from the British Neuropathological Society,
62 • The William Osler Patient-Oriented Research Award from the University of Pennsylvania,
a8 • The Anthony B. Marmarou Memorial Neurotrauma Lecture Award from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons,
7e • The Deal of the Year Award from Penn’s Center for Innovation for a licensed invention aimed at brain repair, and
37 • The National Neurotrauma 2025 Honorary Award
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Description of Research Expertise
160 Douglas H. Smith, M.D. is the Robert A. Groff Endowed Professor of Teaching and Research in Neurosurgery and Director of the Center for Brain Injury and Repair at the University of Pennsylvania. He is recognized globally as one of the foremost experts on concussion and traumatic brain injury (TBI), including more severe forms of TBI.8
26d Dr. Smith holds prominent leadership roles internationally. He currently serves as President-elect of the National Neurotrauma Society and as Scientific Director of the Big Ten/Ivy League Collaboration on Concussion. He is also a member of the Scientific Advisory Boards for the National Football League (NFL), the NCAA–Department of Defense (DoD) Concussion Consortium, and the International Concussion Society. Additionally, he serves as an inaugural trustee of the Mind Your Brain Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting TBI survivors and their caregivers through education and outreach.
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236 His groundbreaking research has advanced the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of concussion. His team discovered that concussion symptoms arise from physical and functional damage to nerve fibers (axons), disrupting electrical communication across brain networks. They also identified blood biomarkers of axonal injury that can predict recovery time. Furthermore, his group was the first to reveal how concussion and more severe TBI can lead to progressive neurodegeneration, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and Alzheimer’s disease.
8
136 Dr. Smith’s expertise garnered the attention of the U.S. State Department, which tasked him with leading a team to investigate unexplained neurological symptoms affecting U.S. embassy personnel in Cuba. Their findings led to the identification of a newly recognized disorder known as Havana Syndrome.
8
103 Dr. Smith has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed scientific publications, which are among the most highly cited in the field, earning him an h-index of over 90. His research excellence has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including:
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64 • The Dorothy Russell Medal, the highest honor from the British Neuropathological Society,
62 • The William Osler Patient-Oriented Research Award from the University of Pennsylvania,
a8 • The Anthony B. Marmarou Memorial Neurotrauma Lecture Award from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons,
7e • The Deal of the Year Award from Penn’s Center for Innovation for a licensed invention aimed at brain repair, and
37 • The National Neurotrauma 2025 Honorary Award
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272 Smith, D. H., Dolle, J. P., Ameen-Ali, K. E., Bretzin, A., Cortes, E., Crary, J. F., Dams-O'Connor, K., Diaz-Arrastia, R., Edlow, B. L., Folkerth, R., Hazrati, L. N., Hinds, S. R., Iacono, D., Johnson, V. E., Keene, C. D., Kofler, J., Kovacs, G. G., Lee, E. B., Manley, G., Meaney, D., Montine, T., Okonkwo, D. O., Perl, D. P., Trojanowski, J. Q., Wiebe, D. J., Yaffe, K., McCabe, T., Stewart, W.: COllaborative Neuropathology NEtwork Characterizing ouTcomes of TBI (CONNECT-TBI). Acta Neuropathol Commun 9(1): 32, March 2021.
12e Gan, Z. S., Stein, S. C., Swanson, R., Guan, S., Garcia, L., Mehta, D., Smith, D. H.: Blood Biomarkers for Traumatic Brain Injury: A Quantitative Assessment of Diagnostic and Prognostic Accuracy. Front Neurol 10: 446, 2019.
b1 Smith, D. H., Stewart, W.: ''Concussion'' is not a true diagnosis. Nat Rev Neurol 16(9): 457-458, 2020.
a5 Smith, D. H., Stewart, W.: Genetic interplay with soccer ball heading. Nat Rev Neurol 2020.
128 Chen, H. I., Jgamadze, D., Lim, J., Mensah-Brown, K., Wolf, J. A., Mills, J. A., Smith, D. H.: Functional Cortical Axon Tracts Generated from Human Stem Cell-Derived Neurons. Tissue Eng Part A 25(9-10): 736-745, 2019.
fc Johnson, V. E., Stewart, W., Smith, D. H.: Widespread tau and amyloid-beta pathology many years after a single traumatic brain injury in humans. Brain Pathol 22(2): 142-9, 2012.
1e6 Verma, R., Swanson, R. L., Parker, D., Ould Ismail, A. A., Shinohara, R. T., Alappatt, J. A., Doshi, J., Davatzikos, C., Gallaway, M., Duda, D., Chen, H. I., Kim, J. J., Gur, R. C., Wolf, R. L., Grady, M. S., Hampton, S., Diaz-Arrastia, R., Smith, D. H.: Neuroimaging Findings in US Government Personnel With Possible Exposure to Directional Phenomena in Havana, Cuba. JAMA 322(4): 336-347, 2019.
135 Dolle, J. P., Jaye, A., Anderson, S. A., Ahmadzadeh, H., Shenoy, V. B., Smith, D. H.: Newfound sex differences in axonal structure underlie differential outcomes from in vitro traumatic axonal injury. Exp Neurol 300: 121-134, 2018.
146 Ezra Sadik, M., Ozturk, A. K., Albayar, A., Branche, M., Zadnik Sullivan, P., Schlosser, L. O., Browne, K. D., Jaye, A. H., Smith, D. H.: A Strategy Toward Bridging a Complete Spinal Cord Lesion Using Stretch-Grown Axons. Tissue Eng Part A 2020.
15b Iwata, A., Stys, P. K., Wolf, J. A., Chen, X. H., Taylor, A. G., Meaney, D. F., Smith, D. H.: Traumatic axonal injury induces proteolytic cleavage of the voltage-gated sodium channels modulated by tetrodotoxin and protease inhibitors. J Neurosci 24(19): 4605-13, 2004.
be Johnson, V. E., Stewart, W., Smith, D. H.: Axonal pathology in traumatic brain injury. Exp Neurol 246: 35-43, 2013.
13b Siman, R., Shahim, P., Tegner, Y., Blennow, K., Zetterberg, H., Smith, D. H.: Serum SNTF Increases in Concussed Professional Ice Hockey Players and Relates to the Severity of Postconcussion Symptoms. J Neurotrauma 32(17): 1294-300, 2015.
1a0 Smith, D. H., Hicks, R. R., Johnson, V. E., Bergstrom, D. A., Cummings, D. M., Noble, L. J., Hovda, D., Whalen, M., Ahlers, S. T., LaPlaca, M., Tortella, F. C., Duhaime, A. C., Dixon, C. E.: Pre-Clinical Traumatic Brain Injury Common Data Elements: Toward a Common Language Across Laboratories. J Neurotrauma 32(22): 1725-35, 2015.
ef Smith, D. H., Johnson, V. E., Trojanowski, J. Q., Stewart, W.: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy - confusion and controversies. Nat Rev Neurol 15(3): 179-183, 2019.
af Smith, D. H., Stewart, W.: Tackling concussion, beyond Hollywood. Lancet Neurol 15(7): 662-663, 2016.
183 Swanson, R. L., 2nd, Hampton, S., Green-McKenzie, J., Diaz-Arrastia, R., Grady, M. S., Verma, R., Biester, R., Duda, D., Wolf, R. L., Smith, D. H.: Neurological Manifestations Among US Government Personnel Reporting Directional Audible and Sensory Phenomena in Havana, Cuba. JAMA 319(11): 1125-1133, 2018.
140 Tang-Schomer, M. D., Patel, A. R., Baas, P. W., Smith, D. H.: Mechanical breaking of microtubules in axons during dynamic stretch injury underlies delayed elasticity, microtubule disassembly, and axon degeneration. FASEB J 24(5): 1401-10, 2010.
e2 Verma, R., Swanson, R. L., Smith, D. H.: Neuroimaging of US Government Personnel Exposed to Directional Phenomena-Reply. JAMA 322(22): 2249-2250, 2019.
161 Arena, J. D., Johnson, V. E., Lee, E. B., Gibbons, G. S., Smith, D. H., Trojanowski, J. Q., Stewart, W.: Astroglial tau pathology alone preferentially concentrates at sulcal depths in chronic traumatic encephalopathy neuropathologic change. Brain Commun 2(2): fcaa210, 2020.
e7 Smith, D. H., Johnson, V. E., Stewart, W.: Chronic neuropathologies of single and repetitive TBI: substrates of dementia? Nat Rev Neurol 9(4): 211-21, 2013.
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Selected Publications
152 Sullivan, P. Z., AlBayar, A., Burrell, J. C., Browne, K. D., Arena, J., Johnson, V., Smith, D. H., Cullen, D. K., Ozturk, A. K.: Implantation of Engineered Axon Tracts to Bridge Spinal Cord Injury Beyond the Glial Scar in Rats. Tissue Eng Part A March 2021.272 Smith, D. H., Dolle, J. P., Ameen-Ali, K. E., Bretzin, A., Cortes, E., Crary, J. F., Dams-O'Connor, K., Diaz-Arrastia, R., Edlow, B. L., Folkerth, R., Hazrati, L. N., Hinds, S. R., Iacono, D., Johnson, V. E., Keene, C. D., Kofler, J., Kovacs, G. G., Lee, E. B., Manley, G., Meaney, D., Montine, T., Okonkwo, D. O., Perl, D. P., Trojanowski, J. Q., Wiebe, D. J., Yaffe, K., McCabe, T., Stewart, W.: COllaborative Neuropathology NEtwork Characterizing ouTcomes of TBI (CONNECT-TBI). Acta Neuropathol Commun 9(1): 32, March 2021.
12e Gan, Z. S., Stein, S. C., Swanson, R., Guan, S., Garcia, L., Mehta, D., Smith, D. H.: Blood Biomarkers for Traumatic Brain Injury: A Quantitative Assessment of Diagnostic and Prognostic Accuracy. Front Neurol 10: 446, 2019.
b1 Smith, D. H., Stewart, W.: ''Concussion'' is not a true diagnosis. Nat Rev Neurol 16(9): 457-458, 2020.
a5 Smith, D. H., Stewart, W.: Genetic interplay with soccer ball heading. Nat Rev Neurol 2020.
128 Chen, H. I., Jgamadze, D., Lim, J., Mensah-Brown, K., Wolf, J. A., Mills, J. A., Smith, D. H.: Functional Cortical Axon Tracts Generated from Human Stem Cell-Derived Neurons. Tissue Eng Part A 25(9-10): 736-745, 2019.
fc Johnson, V. E., Stewart, W., Smith, D. H.: Widespread tau and amyloid-beta pathology many years after a single traumatic brain injury in humans. Brain Pathol 22(2): 142-9, 2012.
1e6 Verma, R., Swanson, R. L., Parker, D., Ould Ismail, A. A., Shinohara, R. T., Alappatt, J. A., Doshi, J., Davatzikos, C., Gallaway, M., Duda, D., Chen, H. I., Kim, J. J., Gur, R. C., Wolf, R. L., Grady, M. S., Hampton, S., Diaz-Arrastia, R., Smith, D. H.: Neuroimaging Findings in US Government Personnel With Possible Exposure to Directional Phenomena in Havana, Cuba. JAMA 322(4): 336-347, 2019.
135 Dolle, J. P., Jaye, A., Anderson, S. A., Ahmadzadeh, H., Shenoy, V. B., Smith, D. H.: Newfound sex differences in axonal structure underlie differential outcomes from in vitro traumatic axonal injury. Exp Neurol 300: 121-134, 2018.
146 Ezra Sadik, M., Ozturk, A. K., Albayar, A., Branche, M., Zadnik Sullivan, P., Schlosser, L. O., Browne, K. D., Jaye, A. H., Smith, D. H.: A Strategy Toward Bridging a Complete Spinal Cord Lesion Using Stretch-Grown Axons. Tissue Eng Part A 2020.
15b Iwata, A., Stys, P. K., Wolf, J. A., Chen, X. H., Taylor, A. G., Meaney, D. F., Smith, D. H.: Traumatic axonal injury induces proteolytic cleavage of the voltage-gated sodium channels modulated by tetrodotoxin and protease inhibitors. J Neurosci 24(19): 4605-13, 2004.
be Johnson, V. E., Stewart, W., Smith, D. H.: Axonal pathology in traumatic brain injury. Exp Neurol 246: 35-43, 2013.
13b Siman, R., Shahim, P., Tegner, Y., Blennow, K., Zetterberg, H., Smith, D. H.: Serum SNTF Increases in Concussed Professional Ice Hockey Players and Relates to the Severity of Postconcussion Symptoms. J Neurotrauma 32(17): 1294-300, 2015.
1a0 Smith, D. H., Hicks, R. R., Johnson, V. E., Bergstrom, D. A., Cummings, D. M., Noble, L. J., Hovda, D., Whalen, M., Ahlers, S. T., LaPlaca, M., Tortella, F. C., Duhaime, A. C., Dixon, C. E.: Pre-Clinical Traumatic Brain Injury Common Data Elements: Toward a Common Language Across Laboratories. J Neurotrauma 32(22): 1725-35, 2015.
ef Smith, D. H., Johnson, V. E., Trojanowski, J. Q., Stewart, W.: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy - confusion and controversies. Nat Rev Neurol 15(3): 179-183, 2019.
af Smith, D. H., Stewart, W.: Tackling concussion, beyond Hollywood. Lancet Neurol 15(7): 662-663, 2016.
183 Swanson, R. L., 2nd, Hampton, S., Green-McKenzie, J., Diaz-Arrastia, R., Grady, M. S., Verma, R., Biester, R., Duda, D., Wolf, R. L., Smith, D. H.: Neurological Manifestations Among US Government Personnel Reporting Directional Audible and Sensory Phenomena in Havana, Cuba. JAMA 319(11): 1125-1133, 2018.
140 Tang-Schomer, M. D., Patel, A. R., Baas, P. W., Smith, D. H.: Mechanical breaking of microtubules in axons during dynamic stretch injury underlies delayed elasticity, microtubule disassembly, and axon degeneration. FASEB J 24(5): 1401-10, 2010.
e2 Verma, R., Swanson, R. L., Smith, D. H.: Neuroimaging of US Government Personnel Exposed to Directional Phenomena-Reply. JAMA 322(22): 2249-2250, 2019.
161 Arena, J. D., Johnson, V. E., Lee, E. B., Gibbons, G. S., Smith, D. H., Trojanowski, J. Q., Stewart, W.: Astroglial tau pathology alone preferentially concentrates at sulcal depths in chronic traumatic encephalopathy neuropathologic change. Brain Commun 2(2): fcaa210, 2020.
e7 Smith, D. H., Johnson, V. E., Stewart, W.: Chronic neuropathologies of single and repetitive TBI: substrates of dementia? Nat Rev Neurol 9(4): 211-21, 2013.
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