Dr. Patrick Smith is a clinical psychologist and biostatistician with expertise in the development and implementation of behavioral interventions among individuals with cardiometabolic risk factors at risk for cognitive decline. After completing his BA in music performance and psychology at UNC, he obtained his PhD in Clinical Health Psychology at Duke and an MPH in Biostatistics from UNC. He completed postdoctoral training programs in both behavioral medicine and clinical neuropsychology. His prior work has demonstrated that physical activity and dietary modification can improve cognitive functioning and brain health and that these measurable improvements can be observed after only a few months of sustained lifestyle change, in some cases resulting in an estimated 10-12 years of ‘younger’ brain functioning. He also serves as a clinical neuropsychologist on the Duke-UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), which examines the role of modifiable risk factors on cognitive decline across the lifespan, with participants ranging in age from 28-80. He is particularly interested in personalized intervention strategies to help individuals sustain lifestyle changes over time, such as developing interventions that align with personal values and individual differences in social support, as well as treatments that integrate behavioral intervention approaches with biomarker data (e.g. wearable sensors to monitor physical activity and metabolic function).