Dylan Smith

Dylan Smith, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Program in Public Health and Director of the Master of Public Health Program at Stony Brook University. He is affiliated with the Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine, and holds a courtesy appointment in the Department of Psychology. His research focuses on emotional adaptation to aging-related disability and chronic illness, using real-time measurement methods to explore interactions between social/cognitive factors and health outcomes. Current projects examine racial disparities in chronic pain quality of life and resilience factors in Alzheimer’s caregivers.

Dr. Smith holds a Ph.D. and MA in Social Psychology from Arizona State University and a BS in Psychology from Virginia Tech. His academic interests include interpersonal relationships influencing health, quality of life measurement, and biomarkers of stress. He has published extensively on osteoarthritis pain management, racial health disparities, and the role of emotional intelligence in chronic illness adaptation.

Key research areas include:

• Racial/ethnic disparities in osteoarthritis outcomes
• Ecological momentary assessment methodologies
• Stress and resilience biomarkers
• Altruistic behavior and stress regulation

His work has been featured in high-impact journals such as Journal of Aging and Health, Annals of Behavioral Medicine, and Arthritis Care and Research. Dr. Smith's publications reflect a strong commitment to advancing understanding of health inequities and developing interventions to improve quality of life for vulnerable populations.

Professional Contributions: Active member of the Association for Psychological Science, Gerontological Society of America, and Society for Personality and Social Psychology.