Anya Smith

Dr. Anya Smith is a Senior Scientist at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia's School of Population and Public Health. She also serves as an investigator at the BC Children's Hospital Research Institute. Her work bridges veterinary science and public health through the One Health framework.

Dr. Smith holds a BSc in Wildlife Ecology and Evolution from Simon Fraser University and a PhD in Veterinary Medical Sciences from the University of Calgary, where her research focused on parasitology and molecular characterization of zoonotic pathogens.

• Key Research Areas: Enteric diseases, Zoonotic pathogen surveillance, Vector-borne illness tracking, Pediatric chronic condition data analysis, Indigenous health initiatives

Her recent publications highlight collaborations across Canada, the Netherlands, and the United States, with methodological foci on molecular characterization of protozoan parasites and environmental risk factor analysis for infectious diseases. The 2024 Sci Rep article on Echinococcus infections in Calgary demonstrates her ongoing commitment to urban zoonotic disease ecology.

Dr. Smith leads provincial respiratory virus surveillance programs and has developed population health strategies for First Nations communities. She previously contributed to international investigations of Legionnaires' disease outbreaks and continues to advance surveillance methodologies for both human and animal populations.