2016 Keynote Address
Dr. Tara Smith
College of Public Health
Kent State University
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: Pigs, Pork, and Pathogens
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Dr. Smith joined the faculty of Kent State University College of Public Health in August 2013 following nine years in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Iowa, where she directed the College’s Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases. She completed post-doctoral training at the University of Michigan after obtaining her Ph.D. at the University of Toledo and her B.S. in Biology from Yale University.
Dr. Smith’s research focuses on zoonotic infections (infections which are transferred between animals and humans). She was the first to identify livestock-associated strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the United States, and has pioneered the investigation of this organism in the United States. Dr. Smith has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. She has received over three million dollars in funding from AHRQ, USDA, and NIOSH to carry out her studies. She has presented her research at numerous national and international platforms, including talks on Capitol Hill on the topic of agriculture and antibiotic resistance. Her work has been profiled in many major publications, including Science, Nature, and The New York Times.
Dr. Smith is also active in science communication and outreach. She has maintained a science blog since 2005, and has written books on Group A Streptococcus, Group B Streptococcus, and Ebola. She also writes about infectious disease for Slate.com among other sites, and is a member of the advisory board of the Zombie Research Society.
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