معرفی
Matthew J. Smith, PhD, MSW, MPE, LCSW is a faculty member at the University of Michigan School of Social Work where he serves as director of the NIH-Funded Level Up: Employment Skills Simulation Lab and Associate Dean for Research. His research focuses on developing and evaluating technology-based interventions to help marginalized and underserved communities obtain and sustain employment.
Dr. Smith received his PhD in Social Welfare from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2006, completed post-doctoral fellowships in psychiatric epidemiology at Washington University and translational neuroscience at Northwestern University, and holds degrees in Psychiatric Epidemiology, Social Work, and Psychology. His educational background reflects his interdisciplinary approach to mental health and employment research.
His primary research interests include Autism, Schizophrenia, Technology-based Interventions, and Social Neuroscience. Dr. Smith partners directly with members of autism, mental health, and system-impacted communities to develop employment-focused tools that are evaluated in real-world settings including high schools, community mental health agencies, and re-entry programs.
Dr. Smith's recent publications demonstrate a concentrated focus on virtual reality job interview training for transition-age youth with disabilities, particularly those on the autism spectrum. His work examines dose-response relationships, implementation strategies across diverse settings, and adaptations for specific populations including BIPOC communities and individuals with visual impairments, reflecting his commitment to equitable access to employment opportunities.
- 2025 DSO Faculty Award
- MICHR 2024 Distinguished Clinical and Translational Research Mentor Award
Dr. Smith has secured substantial grant funding from numerous sources including multiple awards from the National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH110524, R34 MH111531, R44 MH123359, R01 MH112625, R01 MH132656), National Institute of Justice (2019-MU-MU-0004), National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (90IFRE0031, 90IFDV0032), Kessler Foundation (1003-1958-SEG-FY2016), Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research, and U-M's Poverty Solutions.
As director of the Level Up Lab, Dr. Smith leads a multidisciplinary team developing and evaluating technology-based employment interventions. His lab's mission centers on creating tools that address real-world employment challenges faced by marginalized populations, with a strong emphasis on community partnership to ensure cultural relevance and practical utility of their interventions.
