Sophia K. Smith

Sophia K. Smith, PhD, MSW is an Associate Professor at Duke University School of Nursing and a senior scientist in the Duke Clinical Research Institute's Cancer Care Research Program (DCCRP) and Center of Learning Health Care (CLHC). Her work pioneers mHealth and psychosocial solutions to improve cancer survivorship outcomes, with emphasis on non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivors' quality of life and PTSD.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD and MSW from University of North Carolina School of Social Work
• BS in Business Administration (Information Systems) from State University of New York at Albany

Dr. Smith's research integrates behavioral mHealth interventions, comparative effectiveness analysis, and patient-centered outcomes to address cancer care quality gaps. She focuses on survivorship needs across rural/non-rural populations and develops evidence-based supportive care frameworks through program evaluation methodologies.

Her 2024-2025 publications reveal three dominant trends: (1) Leadership in NCCN Survivorship Guidelines updates addressing PTSD and palliative care disparities; (2) Biomarker-driven approaches to infection response and cardiac complications in cancer patients; (3) Rigorous examination of racial inequities in hematologic cancer palliative care access.

Scientific Awards:

• No awards documented in provided materials

As faculty in Duke's MSN and DNP programs, Dr. Smith mentors nursing students while leading grant-funded initiatives through DCCRP and CLHC. Her research ecosystem leverages integrated data systems for patient-reported outcomes, clinical trial design, and policy studies to advance survivorship care models.

She operates within Duke's Oncology Nursing Center of Excellence and collaborates with multidisciplinary teams across DCCRP to develop technology-enhanced symptom monitoring tools and implement evidence-based supportive care services.