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Michael W. Smith, M.D. |
Michael
W. Smith, M.D., received his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology
from Yale University and his medical degree from the University of
Illinois at Rockford. He completed a residency in psychiatry at
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California, USA. As a
resident, he was awarded an APA Minority Fellowship and a DISTA
Fellowship. He served as the Medical Director of the AMI/ABLE
Integrated Service Agency at Harbor UCLA Medical Center. In
addition, he served on the Expert Committee of Psychiatric
Medications for the Los Angeles County Department of Health
Services. Dr. Smith was an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at
the University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine,
and Director of the National Institute of Mental Health Research
Center on the Psychobiology of Ethnicity. His primary focus was in
research is in exploring the mechanisms involved in determining
ethnic, gender, and individual variation in response to
psychotropic medication. He was the Principal Investigator for a
number of studies of schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder,
alcoholism, and smoking cessation for patients with schizophrenia.
Dr Smith published multiple articles, book chapters, and abstracts
on ethnopsychopharmacology.
By Ira Lesser, M.D.
Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical
Center
“The Department of Psychiatry at
Harbor UCLA Medical Center has lost one of its young faculty
members with the passing of Michael Smith, M.D. on April 17, 2006.
Dr. Smith completed his psychiatric residency at Harbor and joined
the faculty upon graduation. He was Associate Clinical Professor
in the Department and served as the Medical Director of the
AMI/ABLE integrated services program and the Director of the
Research Center on the Psychobiology of Ethnicity. Michael's
research was in the areas of ethnic psychopharmacology, culture
and diagnosis and clinical trials with antipsychotic and
complementary medications. He was nationally and internationally
known for his work in ethnic psychopharmacology and Hispanic
mental health issues. For a number of years, he served as Chair of
one of the Institutional Review Boards for the Los Angeles
Biomedical Research Institute, a difficult task that he handled
with great skill. He was a warm and gentle man who struggled with
a chronic illness while never uttering a complaint. He will be
greatly missed.” |
Friday, November 21, 2008. 
