RENAE SMITH-RAY, M.A., Ph.D.

Senior Research Analyst
Advance Health Solutions, LLC

Dr. Smith-Ray is a professional with over 10 years of experience as a researcher in the field of health promotion and disease prevention among older adults. Her research areas of interests are diverse, including examining healthy cognitive aging, promoting physical activity programs for older adults, and studying the relationship between cognitive health and physical, mental and social activities. Among Dr. Smith-Ray’s notable employment experiences are serving as a research scientist with the Institute for Health Research and Policy and as an adjunct lecturer at the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has also held numerous other research or teaching positions positions at the Virginia Tech Center for Translational Obesity Research, the LGBT Centre for Health and Wellness in Edinburgh, Scotland, the National Health Services Scotland, the University of Edinburgh Department of Psychology, and Kaiser Permanente Colorado.

Dr. Smith-Ray has considerable experience conducting comparative effectiveness and community-based interventions for cognitive training and physical activity/behavior change among older adults. Several of Dr. Smith-Ray’s research studies have been funded by highly competitive sources including the National Institute on Aging, the Midwest Roybal Center for Translational Research, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Edinburgh.

Dr. Smith-Ray's research endeavors have resulted in multiple peer-reviewed publications in highly regarded journals such as the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, the American Journal of Health Promotion, Translational Behavioral Medicine, Prevention Science, the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Psychology of Sport and Exercise, Preventing Chronic Disease, Health Promotion Practice, the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Patient Education and Counseling, and the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Dr. Smith-Ray has also co-authored a chapter entitled “Translation: Dissemination and Implementation Issues" in Public Health for an Aging Society. In addition, Dr. Smith-Ray has presented her research at multiple conferences including the American Public Health Association, the Gerontological Society of America, the Society of Behavioral Medicine, and the Association for Psychological Science. Moreover, Dr. Smith-Ray is an active member of multiple national organizations including the Gerontological Society of America, the American Public Health Association, the Association for Psychological Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science Program for Excellence in Science, and the Society of Clinical Research Associates.

Throughout her career, Dr. Smith-Ray has been recognized for her research and academic accomplishments. Her awards include being honored as a University of Illinois Dean's Scholar, a Paul Q. Peterson Public Health Doctoral Scholar. In addition, she has been a recipient of the AHRQ Dissertation Research Grant Award, the Grantmakers in Aging Fellowship, the University of Illinois Chancellor's Graduate Research Fellowship, the Paul D. Doolen Graduate Scholar for the Study of Aging award, the Estelle Goldstein Memorial Scholarship in Aging. Furthermore, Dr. Smith-Ray served as a Predoctoral Fellow in Gerontological Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago and is a Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) with the Society of Clinical Research Associates.

Dr. Smith-Ray received her Ph.D. degree with emphasis in gerontology from the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She also completed her Master of Arts in neuropsychology from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, CO and her Bachelor of Science in psychology from Illinois State University in Normal, IL.