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Valerie A. Smith

Professor in Population Health Sciences
Population Health Sciences

Overview


Valerie A. Smith, DrPH, is a Professor in the Duke University Department of Population Health Sciences. Her methodological research interests include methods for semicontinuous and zero-inflated data, cost and utilization modeling, causal inference methods, observational study design, and longitudinal data analysis.

Dr. Smith works largely in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of researchers, with a focus on health policy interventions, health care utilization and expenditure patterns, program and policy evaluation, bariatric surgery and obesity treatment evaluation, aging, and caregiving.

Areas of expertise: Biostatistics, Health Services Research, Health Economics, and Health Policy

Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations


Professor in Population Health Sciences · 2025 - Present Population Health Sciences, Basic Science Departments
Professor in Medicine · 2025 - Present Medicine, General Internal Medicine, Medicine
Professor in Biostatistics & Bioinformatics · 2025 - Present Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Division of Biostatistics, Biostatistics & Bioinformatics

Recent Scholarly Works


Long-term Cardiovascular Outcomes Following Bariatric Surgery: Reconciling Seemingly Conflicting Evidence.

Journal article Epidemiology · July 1, 2026 Substantial observational evidence exists in support of bariatric surgery being associated with a reduction in risk for a wide range of outcomes, including cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with diabetes. Two recent studies, however, argued that muc ... Full text Link to item Cite

State Racism Index and physical function: The REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study.

Journal article J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci · June 24, 2026 BACKGROUND: Structural racism contributes to health inequities in the U.S. This study aimed to quantify the association between State Racism Index (SRI) and physical function. METHODS: In a national U.S. community-based cohort study, 13,661 Non-Hispanic Bl ... Full text Link to item Cite

Prevalence of 19 Social Risks in a National Survey of Veterans Health Administration Patients.

Conference J Gen Intern Med · May 18, 2026 BACKGROUND: Social risks (adverse social and economic conditions) exert greater impact on health than clinical care. The Veterans Health Administration (VA) conducts annual clinical screenings for food insecurity, housing insecurity, and intimate partner v ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Effect of paid family care (vs aides) on Medicaid waiver participants w/ IDD across the lifespan

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2026 - 2031

Developing robust anti-Obesity Medication ImplemeNtatiOn approaches to maximize population health (the DOMINO study)

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases · 2024 - 2028

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Education


University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill · 2015 DrPH
Stanford University · 2008 M.S.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill · 2007 B.S.