Dr. Brittany Smalls joined the UTMB Health Department of Family Medicine & Community Health in 2025 and currently serves as the Vice Chair of Research. Dr. Smalls earned a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology, a Master's in Health Service Administration, a Master of Science in Health Psychology, and a PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Science with a concentration in health services research. In addition, she has completed scholar programs through the American Psychological Association Leadership and Education Advancement Program (APA LEAP) as well as the Programs to Increase Diversity among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE) via the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) for training in advanced health disparities. Dr. Smalls has completed the two-year Implementation Science Scholars (IS-2) Program at Washington University-St. Louis, where she now leverages that knowledge in community-based research.
Dr. Smalls' research interests include health disparities, rural health, aging research, and social determinants of health within the confines of complex chronic illnesses. She is currently funded by the National Institute for Digestive, Diabetes and Kidney Disease (NIDDK), the American Diabetes Association, and the University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science. Furthermore, her mentorship and scholarship have also been acknowledged through the NIDDK K26 Mid-Career Award, which she uses to mentor and support underrepresented and diverse early career investigators (2023-2028); recipient of the Academy of Medical Educators Excellence Award in Mentorship (2020); as well as being the current recipient of the Dr. Claire Louise Caudill Professor in Family Medicine endowment (2023-2029) at the University of Kentucky.