Robin L. Smith, MD, MBA, age 59, is global business leader, medical doctor, author and entrepreneur in the healthcare industry. She is a trailblazer in regenerative medicine and predictive analytics and has focused on turnarounds, M&A and disruptive innovations driving interest and growth. Dr. Smith received her B.A. degree from Yale University and her M.D. degree from the Yale School of Medicine. She holds an M.B.A. degree from the Wharton School of Business, completed the Stanford University Directors Program and received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Thomas Jefferson Medical College. A thought leader in health, Dr. Smith has spoken to diverse audiences in interviews and talks at prestigious venues such as the Future Investment Initiative, Lake Nona Impact Forum and the Vatican.
Dr. Smith has extensive experience serving on the boards of directors and board committees, including audit, nominating, governance, compensation and science and technology committees of multiple private and public companies. She served on many public boards including Western Acquisition Ventures Corp. (NASDAQ: WAVS), Celularity Inc (NASDAQ: CELU), MYnd Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYND), Sorrento Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SRNE), ServiceSource International, Inc. (NASDAQ: SREV), Seelos Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SEEL), Rockwell Medical (NASDAQ: RMTI) and Signal Genetics (NASDAQ: SGNL). She is currently founder, president and director of Spiritus Therapeutics, founding member of Exotropin and is on the board of Vcinity Inc. Dr. Smith is the managing partner of BRM Holdings and serves as a Global Health Care and Strategic Advisor to CH Group. She is a licensed medical doctor and has been clinical associate professor at the Department of Medicine at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School since 2017.
Dr. Smith co-authored “Cells Are the New Cure” (2017) and “The Healing Cell: How the Greatest Revolution in Medical History Is Changing Your Life” (2013). She has also been widely recognized for her leadership in health care and as a female entrepreneur. Most recently, Dr. Smith received the Regenerative Medicine Foundation (RMF) 2019 Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Action Award for International Diplomacy in 2019 and the 2018 HEALinc Future Health Humanitarian Award, the Business Intelligence Group’s Woman of the Year Award in 2018 and the 2018 Gold Stevie® Award for Woman of the Year—Government or Non-Profit. In April 2016, Pope Francis conferred Dr. Smith as Dame Commander with Star of The Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Sylvester Pope and Martyr. In May 2017, she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement in Healthcare and Science Award by The National Museum of Catholic Art and Library.
Dr. Smith is also active in many nonprofit organizations. She has been the founder, president and chairman of the board of the Cura Foundation (and Stem for Life) having served since 2008. She is currently a member of the medical advisory committee at NFL Alumni Health and the Alliance for Cell Therapy Now. Dr. Smith had previously served as a member of the executive board of trustees of Sanford Health, Sanford Health’s International Board and the board of trustees of the New York University Langone Medical Center, as well as the board of overseers of the New York University Langone Medical Center. Dr. Smith was also chairman of the board of directors of the New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases and served on the boards of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) Foundation and NFL Alumni Association’s Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy initiative. She also served as vice president and director of the Vatican’s Science and Faith (STOQ) Foundation from 2015 to 2022.
From 2006 until 2015, Dr. Smith was chairman and chief executive officer of Neostem (NASDAQ: NBS), where she pioneered the company’s innovative business model combining proprietary cell therapy development with successful contract development and manufacturing organization that was sold to Hitachi at 8x the price it had been acquired. During her 9 years of tenure, the company won an array of industry awards and received business recognition including a first-place ranking in the tri-state area (two years in a row), and eleventh place nationally, on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500, and Frost & Sullivan’s North American Cell Therapeutics Technology Innovation Leadership Award.