Jun 11, 2025
D. Scott Smith MD
Infectious Diseases

Scott grew up in Boulder, Colorado, and pursued his medical education at the University of Colorado. He later attended Harvard University, where he earned a degree in public health. Following medical school, Scott completed his residency and a fellowship in Medicine, Infectious Disease, and Geographic Medicine at Stanford University. During his time at Stanford, Scott served as a faculty member at the medical school and directed the Human Biology course "Parasites & Pestilence" for over two decades. Currently residing in San Mateo, California, Scott served as Chief of Infectious Disease and Geographic Medicine at Kaiser Redwood City for 25 years, including through the COVID-19 pandemic. He also held the role of influenza and vaccine lead for Northern California Kaiser Permanente, contributing to public health and infectious disease management across the region.

He has appeared on The Doctors Show (CBS), Animal Planet, Discovery Channel and National Geographic (and even the Tyra Bank’s Show in New York!) about several unusual parasitic diseases in humans including leishmaniasis, tapeworm, leprosy and hookworm.