Courtney Smith

Courtney Smith, from West Chester, Pennsylvania, is pursuing a PhD in genetics and MD at Stanford School of Medicine. She graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry after spending the first few years of her university studies at Harvard University. Courtney aspires to develop precision medicine diagnostics, treatments, and medical technology to make medicine more effective and affordable for all people. She was head researcher on a translational research project in a Stanford microbiome lab and a research assistant at Harvard. She received a Harvard College Research Prize and a Stanford Major Grant, and was named a Stanford Translational Research and Applied Medicine Scholar. She wrote an advice column, Court Rules, for high school runners and started a blog, OFFTRACK, for injured athletes. At Harvard, she was elected captain of the Varsity Cross Country team and selected for the US All-Academic Track and Field Team, and Academic-All-Ivy Team. She was named an NCAA Division I Cross Country All-American, and competed in the US Olympic Trials in the 10k race.