Alexander Smith, MD, MS, MPH

Alexander Smith, MD, MS, MPH

University of California, San Francisco

Titles and Affiliations: 

• Professor of Medicine, UCSF Division of Geriatrics
• Co-host of the GeriPal Podcast

Dr. Alex Smith is a clinician-researcher at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) who is at the forefront of efforts to integrate geriatrics and palliative care.  Dr. Smith’s research program focuses on improving palliative care for vulnerable and dependent elders.  He has strong interests in bioethics and improving patient-physician communication.  Dr. Smith works clinically on the Hospice and Palliative Care Service at the San Francisco VAMC.  Dr. Smith and Dr. Eric Widera co-founded GeriPal, a Geriatrics and Palliative Care Blog, the leading source for news and commentary related to Geriatrics or Palliative Care on the web.  GeriPal received nearly 1.5 million page views between 2009 and 2013.  Also working with Dr. Widera and Drs. Sei Lee and Mara Schonberg, Dr. Smith launched ePrognosis, an online set of prognostic calculators for the elderly.  ePrognosis had over half a million page views in the first week, and over 1 million views between 2012 and 2013.