Christopher J. Smith, Ph.D., vice president and director of research at the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC), is an experimental psychologist with expertise in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and measurement of associated traits. Before joining SARRC, Dr. Smith was an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine (now the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai) in New York, where he still maintains a faculty position. His background is in phenotyping complex psychiatric disorders for the purposes of genetic studies.

Under the direction of Dr. Smith, SARRC’s research team focuses on improving the early detection of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and expediting accurate diagnostic methods; advancing research on effective treatments for autism, both pharmaceutical and behavioral, that lead to an improved quality of life for individuals with the disorder and their families; and educating all kinds of professionals in the community to improve detection, diagnosis and services for individuals with autism. His background, interests and focus will lead to exciting and promising research opportunities at First Place.