The HIV Center mourns the loss of Dawn Smith, MD, MPH, MS, an epidemiologist and medical officer with the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP) at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP).

Dr. Smith’s long and rich career included supporting the implementation of daily, oral, antiretroviral preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and other biomedical interventions to reduce rates of new HIV infections in the United States, and the development of PHS clinical practice guidelines for PrEP. She spent four years as the associate director for HIV research at the CDC field station in Botswana where she established clinical trial infrastructure with integrated socio-behavioral research and initiated PrEP trials. She was a vibrant supporter of HIV prevention efforts for women, and a leader in pioneering HIV prevention research for young girls. Dr. Smith also served on scientific committees and review panels for WHO, UNAIDS, NIAID, NIDA, NIMH, the NIH Office of AIDS Research and the Institute of Medicine.

Importantly, Dr. Smith was a long-time dedicated HIV prevention scientist and strong advocate for equity and social justice in public health. She was a friend, colleague, and supporter of HIV Center research. Dr. Smith was a key partner from the CDC for the HPTN 096 Protocol, providing leadership and guidance for PrEP advocacy, scale-up, and equitable access for Black MSM in the Southern United States. She will be greatly missed by many – and her legacy will live on.

The HIV Center sends our deepest condolences to her family and colleagues.