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VC Message: Appointment of Dr. David Smith as Director of Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute

 

We are delighted to announce the appointment of David "Davey" Smith, MD, professor of medicine, as the new director of Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute (ACTRI), effective July 1, 2024. 

Dr. Smith is a highly respected expert in infectious diseases and a prolific translational researcher, internationally recognized for his work in translating  laboratory research discoveries into better health outcomes. With over 360 scientific publications, he was recognized by Clarivate as one of the top 1 percent of researchers worldwide by scientific citations in 2022 and 2023. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, Dr. Smith has been deeply involved in the global effort to find safe and effective treatments for the virus, serving as the international protocol co-chair for the ACTIV-2 study, part of the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) ACTIV program (Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines).

As an experienced leader, Dr. Smith served as chief of the  Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health in the School of Medicine from 2017 to 2024. He is also the founding director of the university’s Pandemic Response to Emerging Pathogens, Antimicrobial Resistance and Equity Institute and co-director of the Center for AIDS Research.

In his new role as director of ACTRI, Dr. Smith will ensure the execution of efficient and high-quality clinical and translational research. He will oversee ACTRI’s strategic management, collaborate with regional educational, clinical, and community-based research partners, and lead the next phase of ACTRI’s mission, which includes:

  • Expanding access to clinical research infrastructure, including new clinical space in the ACTRI building adjacent to Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego and Hillcrest Medical Center, and through new informatics tools to manage clinical research. 
  • Overseeing the development and distribution of novel high-quality services and infrastructure that supports clinical and translational science.
  • Developing a workforce that bridges critical research gaps.
  • Fostering principles of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility at ACTRI. 

In 2023, Dr. Smith was appointed assistant vice chancellor of clinical and translational research and co-principal investigator on the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA), now in its fifteenth year of NIH funding. The CTSA is one of the largest sponsored projects at the university; ACTRI resources support almost all clinical trials at UC San Diego, with about 40 percent of UC San Diego’s clinical trial activity occurring in the ACTRI clinic. In his leadership roles, Dr. Smith has led multidisciplinary teams addressing complex biomedical challenges. Notably, his recent work has demonstrated how artificial intelligence can enhance patient experiences by improving empathy and accuracy in response to queries. Under his leadership, ACTRI will continue to be at the forefront of using innovative technologies to improve health.

Dr. Smith will report to Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical and Translational Science Gary S. Firestein, MD, the founding director of ACTRI who now oversees ACTRI and key central offices supporting the research enterprise, including the offices of clinical trials (OCTA), coverage analysis (OCAA), IRB (OIA) administration, and clinical research (OCR), among others. 

As a senior advisor to the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences, Dr. Smith’s exceptional leadership and expertise will be critical in steering current and future clinical research initiatives. His dedication to mentoring the next generation of physician-scientists and his commitment to advancing clinical and translational research make him an ideal partner for our faculty and leaders.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Davey Smith on this significant appointment and in supporting his efforts to advance ACTRI and UC San Diego’s translational science programs.  

Sincerely,

John M. Carethers, MD
Vice Chancellor, Health Sciences

Gary S. Firestein, MD
Senior Associate Vice Chancellor, Clinical and Translational Science