Darron T. Smith, PhD, is a faculty member in the Department of Sociology at the University of Memphis. He is also a physician assistant and a US army veteran with over twenty years of healthcare-related experience as a PA educator and practitioner in primary care and psychiatry. His areas of research and scholarship examine US-based systems of racial oppression and systemic inequality found in all domains across society, including healthcare, the family (transracial adoption), healthcare disparities, religion, sport, culture, and politics. Dr. Smith’s current research and practice intertwine the study of applied neuroscience, race-based trauma, and mental illness by looking at the impact of EEG biofeedback versus MDMA-assisted psychotherapy on brainwave activity in individuals with racial trauma (PTSD) using EEG technology. He is featured in the CBS Sports documentary, "The Black 14: Wyoming Football 1969,” as well as the Loki Mulholland film on transracial adoption, “Black, White & Us: Love is Not Enough.” He is the author of When Race, Religion, and Sports Collide: Black Athletes at BYU and Beyond.

Dr. Smith is a Board Member of the American Psychedelic Prescribers Association. He also serves on Chacruna’s Racial Equity and Access Committee and is an advisor to the Alma Institute. His work on the APPA Board focuses on justice, inclusion, and diversity.