PhD, MPH
Professor, Department of Epidemiology
UNC-Chapel Hill
Cancer Epidemiology
Area of Interest
Dr. Jennifer S. Smith, professor in the Department of Epidemiology, has conducted research over the past 25 years focused on studies of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical cancer prevention worldwide.
Dr. Smith has centered her global research on prevention through HPV screening, treatment, and vaccination. This research has been both in the US, primarily in North Carolina, as well as internationally, particularly in Kenya, China, and Malawi.
She earned a doctorate degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Smith is the director of the Cervical Cancer-Free Coalition and has published 320 articles in international peer-reviewed journals, of which over 275 are related to HPV infection and HPV-associated diseases, in areas that include cervical, anal, vaginal, vulvar, and penile cancers.
She is a mentor for the Cancer Control Education Program and for the Fogarty International Clinical Research Scholar program, an associate editor of Sexually Transmitted Infections and on the editorial board of Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
Awards and Honors
- Leading expert in the early detection of cancer, Expertscape, 2019
- John E. Larsh Award for Mentorship, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, 2015
- Mentor, Cancer Control Education Program, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, 2011-present
- Associate Editor, Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2009-present
- Principal Investigator, Fogarty International Scholars Fellowship Program, CICAMS, Beijing, China, 2009-present
- Organizing Committee, International Papillomavirus Society, 2004-present
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Population Sciences Research Award, Chapel Hill, NC, 2004
- Elion Research Award, International Herpes Management Forum, 2003
- Jean Coombs Award, Epidemiology Department, Johns Hopkins University, 2000
- Chateaubriand Fellowship recipient, French Embassy, 1998
- Delta Omega National Public Health Honors Society, 1995
- Jacob Javits Graduate Fellowship recipient, The United States Department of Education, 1994
- Thomas J. Watson National Fellowship recipient, 1991
- Samuel Houston Citizenship Award Johnson Fellowship for Social Service World, 1991
- Sigma Xi Scientific Honors Society, 1987
News and Stories
Cervical cancer screening doubles when under-screened women are mailed testing kits
Jennifer Smith, PhD, MPH, Noel Brewer, PhD, and colleagues report mailing HPV self-collection tests and offering assistance to book in-clinic screening appointments to under-screened, low-income women improved cervical cancer screening nearly two-fold compared to scheduling assistance alone.
UNC researchers to use $3 million grant to improve cervical cancer screening and treatment
The NCI awarded Jennifer Smith, PhD, MPH, Lameck Chinula, MD, and colleagues a grant to develop cost-effective screening and treatment strategies for invasive cervical cancer in women living with HIV in low and middle-income countries.
