Gordon Smith, MD, FAAN

Biography

Dr. A. Gordon Smith MD is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurology at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he serves as the Kenneth and Dianne Wright Distinguished Chair in Clinical and Translational Research in Neurology. Dr. Smith specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of neuromuscular disorders. 

Dr. Smith is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the Mayo Medical School. He subsequently completed a neurology residency and neuromuscular medicine fellowship at the University of Michigan. Dr. Smith is an internationally recognized expert in neuromuscular medicine with a particular focus on disorders of the peripheral nervous system. Prior to his current role, he served as Vice Chair for Research, Chief of the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine and Director of the Jack H. Petajan EMG Laboratory at the University of Utah. Smith's NIH funded research team focuses on peripheral neuropathy in diabetes and obesity. He has a particular interest in biomarker development and novel clinical trial design in peripheral neuropathy. He was principal investigator of the Utah Regional site in the NINDS-funded Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials (NeuroNEXT), a national clinical trials network that performs innovative treatment studies for neurological disorders.  He is a member of the NeuroNEXT Executive Committee. Dr. Smith is PI of the Topiramate as a Disease Modifying Therapy for Cryptogenic Sensory Peripheral Neuropathy (TopCSPN) trial being performed by NeuroNEXT. TopCSPN is the first large scale randomized trial of a treatment to alter the natural history of CSPN, which is one of the most common neurological disorders. He is also PI of the Activity for Diabetic Neuropathy (ADAPT) Trial. Dr. Smith has led or participated in numerous clinical trials in neuromuscular disorders including the Impaired Glucose Tolerance Neuropathy Study (IGTN) and the Utah Diabetic Neuropathy Study (UDNS). Smith holds numerous national and international leadership roles. He serves on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Neurology and Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy, and the Board of Trustees of the American Brain Foundation.

A native of Richmond, Dr. Smith joined VCU Health and the VCU School of Medicine in 2018. “I’ve worked at some of the best hospitals in the country and when it comes to VCU, I’ve never seen a place that has a greater commitment to providing care to people who have nowhere else to turn,” he says. “It’s quite amazing.”

 “There has never been a more exciting time to work in the field of neuroscience,” says Dr. Smith, known for his friendly and approachable manner with patients. “Many people do not understand just how many different therapies we have available, along with multiple ways to go about treating disease. There is hope for so many people.”