Dr David Smithard

Dr Smithard is an acute Geriatrician who is trained in elderly and stroke medicine. His present position is at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Dr Smithard also holds an honorary academic position both at King’s College and the University of Kent. Dr Smithard qualified from the Royal London Hospital in 1986. His MD was conducted in Manchester looking at the prevalence and consequences of dysphagia in acute stroke. His work has formed the basis of many bed side swallowing assessments performed today. Over the last 20 years he has continued to work in the field of dysphagia, exploring the epidemiology of swallowing problems, in the community and care homes. He maintains an interest in aspiration particularly silent aspiration. His present work is looking at the identification of dysphagia in older people, swallowing rehabilitation after stroke and the epidemiology of dysphagia in the international community. His collaborators are in the UK, USA and Spain.

Dr Smithard is the current Chair of the UK Swallowing Research Group and a founder member. He was a founding member and previous secretary to the British Association of Stroke Physicians and he is a member of the executive of the European Society of Swallowing Disorders.