Biography

Dr. Smith earned a PhD from East Carolina University. His Ph.D. dissertation included a rigorous systematic review of nursing attributes which was the foundation for developing a psychometric scale to measure perceptions of men's suitability for professional nursing. Dr. Smith earned post-graduate certification in quantitative methods for social and behavioral sciences at ECU's psychology department.

Methodological interest: Primarily quantitative, multivariate, based in the regression tradition, and include psychometrics, latent variable and structural equation modeling, linear mixed models, and hierarchical regression. Dr. Smith also has experience in mixed and qualitative methods including interpretive description, phenomenology, and systematic review.

Primary Interest: Cardiometabolic health, with a specific focus on hypertension viewed through the lens of metabolic disease. Dr. Smith explores how the four pillars of metabolic health—nutrition, sleep, physical activity, and psychological wellness—share variance in predicting hypertension and serve as critical targets in hypertension management. Within this framework, Dr. Smith is particularly interested in biobehavioral relationships that shape cardiometabolic outcomes, focusing on the interplay between sleep and psychological wellness. This includes investigating strategies aimed at optimizing sleep and psychological wellness through mindfulness practices, behavioral interventions, and other non-pharmacological approaches to influence blood pressure regulation, as well as examining the long-term impact of childhood abuse and trauma on cardiometabolic health. Dr. Smith’s research emphasizes integrating non-pharmacological strategies to prevent and manage hypertension, promote patient-centered care, and advance health equity by addressing barriers to healthcare access to improve health outcomes.

Secondary Interest: Men’s experiences and involvement in professional nursing including classroom and learning, academic faculty, and clinical workforce environments for men in nursing; men’s unique needs and contributions to nursing; investigate stereotypes and prejudices toward men related to social and role expectations to challenge stigmas associated with being a male nurse.

Dr. Smith welcomes contact related to research collaboration.

In his spare time, Dr. Smith enjoys scientific writing and studying logic, philosophy (including Hellenistic varieties, Humeanism, skepticism, and causal determinism), Hatha yoga, nondual contemplative meditative philosophies (Hindu: Advaita Vedanta, and Buddhist: Vipassana, Zen, & Dzogchen sādhanās), psychonautics, spirituality, and the evolution of human consciousness. Dr. Smith is active in the psychedelic science community and passionate about legislative reform aimed at re/descheduling classical psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, mescaline & DMT), as well as harm reduction strategies, education, and safe use of psychedelics as pathways toward holotropism and psychological and spiritual wellness.