Gary A. Smith, MD, DrPH, director and founder of the Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) in the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, has been named the 2026 Steve Allen MD Distinguished Scholar in Pediatric Research.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Gary A. Smith, MD, DrPH, director and founder of the Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) in the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, has been named the 2026 Steve Allen MD Distinguished Scholar in Pediatric Research. The award is given in honor of former Nationwide Children’s CEO, Steve Allen, MD, and his role in developing Nationwide Children’s into a preeminent pediatric research institution.
Dr. Smith has been an active researcher in the field of pediatric injury and violence prevention for more than 40 years. He holds the Dimon R. McFerson Endowed Chair in Injury Research at Nationwide Children’s and is a professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, with a joint faculty appointment as professor of Emergency Medicine and Epidemiology at the OSU Colleges of Medicine and Public Health.
“The impact of the research conducted by Dr. Smith and his team can be felt at local, national and global levels, from design changes in consumer products to new public policy,” said Dennis Durbin, MD, MSCE, president, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s. “Under Dr. Smith’s leadership, CIRP has established itself as a world leader in pediatric injury and violence prevention research, making our families, homes and communities safer.”
Over the course of his career, Dr. Smith has received more than $32 million in research funding as a principal investigator or co-principal investigator. He has published over 280 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on a wide range of topics including consumer product safety, motor vehicle injuries, smoke alarms for children, unintentional firearm injuries, pediatric poisoning and global child health.
Communicating the results of his and his team’s research is vital to the success of their injury prevention initiatives. To that end, he has provided more than 2000 interviews for magazines, radio, internet and television, with total viewers, readers, and listeners estimated at more than 2 billion per year. His appearances include the Today Show, ABC World News, NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, CNN American Morning, Good Morning Britain, Canada AM, La Manana, and many more. Other interviews include BBC World Service Radio Health Check, Associated Press, Reuters, Health Day, Time Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, and newspapers in all major markets around the country.
A recipient of numerous awards, Dr. Smith received the Distinguished Career Award from the American Public Health Association Injury Control and Emergency Health Services Section; the Alex Kelter Vision Award, the highest honor from the Safe States Alliance; and most recently 2023 Champion Award, awarded annually by the Ohio Injury Prevention Partnership. In 2016, he was the first recipient of the Safety Advocate Award from the National Safety Council, “recognizing an individual who has made a significant personal impact on a safety issue to raise awareness and prevent further injuries and deaths.”
Dr. Smith is board certified in the specialties of pediatrics and general preventive medicine and public health, and in the subspecialty of pediatric emergency medicine. In addition to his clinical training, he holds MPH and DrPH degrees from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics, the American Board of Preventive Medicine, and the Sub-Board of Pediatric Emergency Medicine. He is currently the deputy editor of the journal, Injury Epidemiology.
About The Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP)
The Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP), located within the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s, works globally to reduce injury-related pediatric death and disability. With innovative research at its core, CIRP works to continually improve scientific understanding of the epidemiology, biomechanics, prevention, acute treatment and rehabilitation of injuries. CIRP serves as a pioneer by translating cutting edge injury research into education, advocacy and advances in clinical care.
About the Allen Scholar Award
Over nearly 13 years as CEO, Steve Allen, MD, helped build Nationwide Children’s into a renowned pediatric research institution, including overseeing an increase from $41.7 million to $105.9 million in external research awards. Nationwide Children’s is currently ranked sixth in the country for National Institutes of Health funding among freestanding children’s hospitals.
In recognition of Dr. Allen’s role in the evolution of Nationwide Children’s as a leader in pediatric research and health care, Nationwide Children’s established the Steve Allen, MD, Distinguished Scholar in Pediatric Research award. The award is given to a preeminent Nationwide Children’s senior researcher for scientific innovation and achievement advancing the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of childhood disease and injury.
About The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital
Named to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-26 list of “Best Children’s Hospitals,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of America’s largest not-for-profit free-standing pediatric health care systems providing unique expertise in pediatric population health, behavioral health, genomics and health equity as the next frontiers in pediatric medicine, leading to best outcomes for the health of the whole child. Integrated clinical and research programs are part of what allows Nationwide Children’s to advance its unique model of care. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s faculty train the next generation of pediatricians, scientists and pediatric specialists. The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the Top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded free-standing pediatric research facilities in the U.S., supporting basic, clinical, translational, behavioral and population health research. The AWRI is comprised of multidisciplinary Centers of Emphasis paired with advanced infrastructure supporting capabilities such as technology commercialization for discoveries; gene- and cell-based therapies; and genome sequencing and analysis. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org/Research.