Meredith Smith
PT, MScPT, MEd, PhD (candidate)
As the Academic Programs SAMIH Site Lead, Meredith provides leadership, administrative and student support at SAMIH and collaborates with the Academic and Theme Leads to support the development, design, and delivery of the curriculum across the two sites.
She also teaches in Unit 4: Physical Practice III which focuses on neurological physical therapy practice. She is a graduate of the MScPT program at the University of Toronto and holds a Bachelors in Physiology from Michigan State University and a Master of Education with a concentration in Health Professions Education from the University of Ottawa.
Prof. Smith is currently a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education at the University of Toronto with an interest in exploring how to further support health professional students and health professionals in better understanding and addressing health inequities to enhance patient care.
She continues to occasionally practice in neurological private practice and works casually as an Education Development Lead for the International Centre for Education at University Health Network. In addition, she is currently the President of the Black Physiotherapy Association (BPTA) which has the mission to enrich the health and wellness of Black physiotherapists, students and the communities we serve through fellowship, education, mentoring and advocacy.
Research & Scholarly Activities
Meredith is involved in research related to health justice, racism and oppression.
Teaching
- Physical Therapy Practice III (PHT 1104Y)
Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto
- Education Development Lead, University Health Network
Publications
- Phenix, A., Smith, M., Beavers, L., & Nixon, S. (2025). Examining the coin of privilege in health and healthcare. In L. Dean & K. A. Jacques (Ed.) Power, privilege, and public health in the United States: Theory and practice (pp. 36–49). Oxford University. https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197760956.003.0003
- Smith M, McGuire-Adams T, Eady K. (2024). Anti-oppression pedagogy in health professions: A scoping review. Adv in Health Sci Educ. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-024-10336-0
- Dhir, J., Blake, T., Cleaver, S., Smith-Turchyn, J., Miller, P., Smith, M., Udarbe Han, M., Gasparelli, K., & Wojkowski, S. (2022). The search for justice: Developing a collaborative understanding of health justice in physiotherapy. Physiotherapy Canada, 74(3), 227–229. https://doi.org/10.3138/ptc-74-3-gee
- Dhir, J., Cleaver, S., Lurch, .S, Miller, P.A., Smith, M., Smith-Turchyn, J., Udarbe Han, M., Wojkowski, S. (2024). Developing a collaborative understanding of health justice in physiotherapy: Findings from a national consensus development conference. Physiotherapy Canada. e20230076. https://doi.org/10.3138/ptc-2023-0076
- Vazir S, Newman K, Kispal L, Morin AE, Mu Y, Smith M, Nixon S. Perspectives of Racialized Physiotherapists in Canada on Their Experiences with Racism in the Physiotherapy Profession. Physiotherapy Canada. 2019; 71(4):335-45.
- Hughes N, Norville S, Chan R, Arunthavarajah R, Armena D, Hosseinpour N, Smith M, Nixon SA. Exploring How Racism Structures Canadian Physical Therapy Programs: Counter-Stories From Racialized Students. J Hum Rehabil. 2021. https://www.jhrehab.org/2019/11/14/exploring-how-racism-structures-canadian-physical-therapy-programs-counter-stories-from-racialized-students/.
- Wegrzyn, P, Evans, C, Janczyn, G, Judge, J, Lu, R, Manji, R, Gray, J, Smith, M, Nixon, SA. A Reorientation of Belief: Considerations for Increasing the Recruitment of Black Students into Canadian physiotherapy programs. J Hum Rehabil. 2021. https://www.jhrehab.org/2021/11/05/a-reorientation-of-belief-considerations-for-increasing-the-recruitment-of-black-students-into-canadian-physiotherapy-programs/.