About Me

My name is Courtney Smith and I’m an MD/PhD Student in Genetics at Stanford University and a Knight-Hennessy Scholar. I’m doing my PhD work in the lab of Jonathan Pritchard where I research the genetic architecture of complex traits and diseases. I design computational pipelines that leverage large population-scale biobank data to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying human diseases. Specifically, I am interested in analyzing pleiotropy (shared genetic effects) across various molecular and cellular traits and diseases through Genome-wide Association Studies (GWAS) to learn more about how the body works in health and disease.

I received a BS in Chemistry from Stanford University in 2019. My undergraduate thesis investigated the role of the human gut microbiome in lactose intolerance. My background in chemistry informs how I approach scientific questions in biomedical research; many of my research questions and interests are motivated by a desire to understand the mechanisms of biological principles in medicine on a molecular level. Because of this, my work is at the intersection of genetics, computer science, medicine, statistics, and biochemistry.

In my free time, I enjoy trail running and have run multiple ultramarathons. In college, I was a Division 1 All-American in Cross Country and in Track and Field, and I competed in the 2016 US Olympic Trials in the 10k.