Patrick Smith serves as the chief scientific officer at Certara Strategic Consulting Services, assisting biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in designing innovative drug development strategies. With 20 years of experience in the world of drug development, Patrick also co-founded the startup d3 Medicine, which was acquired by Certara in 2016.

Patrick obtained his Pharm.D. from the University of California, San Francisco, completed a clinical residency at Duke University Medical Center, and is the author of over 120 peer-reviewed publications in major medical and scientific journals, which include the Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine.

Patrick is a fourth-generation Irish-American on his mother’s side, having found records of his ancestor, Catherine Somers, who arrived in Virginia in 1772. “We are all a product of our past, and undoubtedly my independent spirit, adventurous personality, and restless nature come from my Irish heritage,” he says. “I have had the opportunity to visit Ireland multiple times, and have found the country and its people to be a source of pride and inspiration.”