Gennifer Smith

Gennifer (Genna) Smith is an Assistant Professor at the University of San Francisco, full-time faculty, specializing in biomedical engineering and electrical engineering. She holds a BS in Electrical Engineering and Biology from the University of New Mexico, followed by a PhD and MS in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. Her postdoctoral research at Stanford focuses on assay development for cell-free DNA testing in atherosclerosis detection.

• Education:
  • PhD, Electrical Engineering, Stanford University
  • MS, Electrical Engineering, Stanford University
  • BS, Electrical Engineering & Biology, University of New Mexico

Her research interests center on low-cost medical devices, including portable urinalysis systems and point-of-care diagnostics for tuberculosis and cardiovascular diseases. She emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, combining electrical engineering with biomedical applications.

Her publications highlight advancements in optical coherence tomography (OCT), urinalysis technologies, and biomedical imaging. Recent work includes a 2019 study on OCT parameter determination and a 2018 low-power urinalysis system.

• Awards:
  • T32 NIH Cardiovascular Imaging Fellowship
  • National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship

Teaching emphasizes hands-on learning, inspired by the philosophy: “I do and I understand.” She collaborates with labs like Sandia National Laboratories and Stanford’s biomedical engineering teams, focusing on translating research into practical healthcare solutions.