Jennifer A. Smith

Jennifer A. Smith, PhD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Research Associate Professor of Survey Research at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She also serves as Director of the Certificate in Public Health Genetics and is Assistant Director of the Cohort Development working group for U-M Precision Health and the Michigan Genomics Initiative.

Education:

• PhD, Epidemiology, University of Michigan (2011)
• MA, Statistics, University of Michigan (2009)
• MPH, Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan (2005)
• BS, Biological Sciences, Cornell University (2001)

Research Interests: Dr. Smith is a genetic epidemiologist whose work lies at the intersection of genomics, epigenomics, and social epidemiology. She investigates how genetic, epigenetic, and transcriptomic variation influence age-related chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, dementia, and cognitive decline. A major focus is understanding how social, psychosocial, and neighborhood determinants interact with genetic risk to shape socioeconomic and racial/ethnic health disparities.

Research Projects: Her work leverages large, multi-ethnic cohorts including the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), GENOA, SWAN, MESA, and LASI. She is a core faculty member of the Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health (CSEPH), and affiliated with MiCDA, the Center for Midlife Science, and the PNG Program. She also collaborates with leading consortia such as CHARGE and TOPMed.

Selected Trends in Publications: Her recent work (2022–2025) emphasizes epigenetic mediation of social determinants on cardiovascular and cognitive health, polygenic risk scores across diverse ancestries, and multi-omics integration in aging and disease. These studies consistently highlight how social environments and genetic architecture jointly influence health outcomes across populations.

Contact:
Email: smjenn@umich.edu
Office: 734-615-9455
Address: 2631 SPH I, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109