About Dr. Smith
Christopher (Chris) M. Smith, PhD, MSN, RN, GCQM is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at Charlotte’s College of Health and Human Services. Dr. Smith earned a PhD in Nursing Science from East Carolina University (ECU). His Ph.D. dissertation included a rigorous systematic review which served as the foundation for scale development using a confirmatory factor analysis approach – both endeavors are published. During Dr. Smith’s doctoral studies, he earned a post-master’s certificate in Quantitative Methods for Social and Behavioral Sciences through ECU’s Department of Psychology, where he cultivated interests in psychometrics and latent variable modeling.
Educational Background
- PhD, 2022, East Carolina University
- Post-Master Certificate – 2021, ECU Dept of Psychology
- MSN, 2018, Appalachian State University
- BSN, 2016, Appalachian State University
- ADN, 2001, Wayne Community College
Methodological Interests
Dr. Smith’s methodological interests are primarily quantitative, multivariate, based in the regression tradition, and include psychometrics, structural equation modeling, latent variable modeling, linear mixed models, hierarchical models, and mediation/moderation/conditional processes. He also appreciates mixed methods and has experience with qualitative methodology including interpretive description and phenomenology as well as systematic review methods.
Primary Research Interest
Dr. Smith’s primary research focus is cardiometabolic health in rural populations with a focused interest in metabolic and inflammatory mechanisms that drive cardiovascular and blood pressure outcomes. Specifically, his research explores metabolomics, lipidomics, and proteomics to better understand the pathways that influence cardiometabolic health. Within this framework, Dr. Smith is particularly interested in developing biobehavioral models to detect cardiometabolic dysfunction and predict cardiometabolic disease before irreversible and long-term health impacts occur. His research emphasizes functional lifestyle strategies that support the pillars of cardiometabolic health, nutrition, sleep hygiene, physical activity, and psychological wellness, which serve as critical targets for preventing and managing disease. This includes interventional strategies aimed at optimizing the cardiometabolic pillars, including low-insulinogenic nutritional models, increased physical activity, pre-sleep optimization practices, and mindfulness and contemplative meditative practices.
Broadly, Dr. Smith’s research supports prevention and detection models illness and manage disease progression, promote person-centered care, and advance health equity and healthcare access in rural populations to improve cardiometabolic health outcomes.
Dr. Smith’s primary research interest expands to exploring the long-term impact of childhood abuse trauma on cardiometabolic health and how classical serotonergic psychedelics, such as LSD and psilocybin, may be leveraged to facilitate trauma processing. This approach constitutes a novel method for indirectly addressing unhealthy behaviors that stem from the residual effects of childhood abuse trauma and is aimed at improving cardiometabolic health outcomes.
Secondary Interest
Dr. Smith’s secondary interest includes men’s experiences and involvement in professional nursing including classroom and learning, academic faculty, and clinical workforce environments for men in nursing; men’s unique needs and contributions to nursing; stereotypes and prejudices toward men related to social and role expectations; challenging stigmas associated with being a male nurse.
Collaboration
Dr. Smith is currently seeking collaborators.
Dr. Smith is passionate about interdisciplinary approaches to research and works well with others. He has been awarded two Sigma Theta Tau grants, and an Academy of Medical Sciences grant to support his research. Dr. Smith has disseminated his research via publications and conference presentations.
Spare Time
Dr. Smith’s extracurricular interests include scientific writing and studying logic, philosophy (including Hellenistic varieties, Humeanism, skepticism, and causal determinism), Hatha yoga, nondual contemplative meditative philosophies (Buddhist: Dzogchen, Vipassana, Zen and Hindu: Advaita Vedanta, sādhanās, respectively), psychonautics, spirituality, and the evolution of human consciousness. Dr. Smith is active in the psychedelic science community and passionate about legislative reform aimed at re/descheduling classical psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, mescaline & DMT), as well as harm reduction strategies, education, and safe use of psychedelics as pathways toward holotropism and psychological and spiritual wellness.