An Interview with Dr. David G. Smithard
OBM Geriatrics Editorial Office 
LIDSEN Publishing Inc., 2000 Auburn Drive, One Chagrin Highlands, Suite 200, Beachwood, OH, USA
Received: October 09, 2022 | Accepted: October 09, 2022 | Published: October 09, 2022
OBM Geriatrics 2022, Volume 6, Issue 4, doi:10.21926/obm.geriatr.2204207
Recommended citation: OBM Geriatrics Editorial Office. An Interview with Dr. Carlo Pedrolli. OBM Geriatrics 2022; 6(4): 207; doi:10.21926/obm.geriatr.2204207.
© 2022 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the conditions of the Creative Commons by Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is correctly cited.
Dr. David G. Smithard
1. Could You Please Tell Us Your Scientific Background?
I am a geriatrician by training, qualifying from the London Hospital Medical College. My initial publication was MR and Urine. Then a letter on preoperative ECG. Following on from there my original research was looking at the prevalence and complications of dysphagia following stroke. This work started in the early 1990’s. Since then, my work has looked at aspiration, silent aspiration, swallowing rehabilitation/assessment and the prevalence of swallowing problems in the community and frail older adult. Other interests have focused on physical restraint.
2. Can You Share Your Career Development Story Briefly? For Example, What Cases Have Influenced You the Most?
I cannot think of any outstanding cases. Just the general need to improve knowledge and carte of people with swallowing problems. One of the most difficult problems is raising awareness amongst the general public.
3. Is There a Book You’ve Read That You'd Recommend Universally (i.e., to Everyone You Meet)?
No except the Bible. More recently, other works – 1984 George Orwell, and Being Mortal Atul Gwande.
4. What Is Your Main Research Area? What Got You Interested in Scientific Research in the First Place?
I fell into research in the early 1990’s and have continued ever since. Actual areas are detailed above.
5. Where Are Your Sources of Information? Where Do You Get Your Latest News About Geriatrics Research? Where Do You Take Inspiration From?
I scan a few geriatric journals and dysphagia journals. Areas of research come up from clinical dilemmas on the ward (aspiration pneumonia - identification and management) and oral frailty.
6. What Is Your Long-Term Research Goal?
- To develop a device for oral phase assessment and rehabilitation.
- To look further into the community prevalence of dysphagia and the discrepancy between reporting and actual.
7. What Are the Recent Research Trends That You, as a Scholar, Would Suggest OBM Geriatrics to Observe and to Follow in the Coming Years?
Frailty, sarcopenia and swallowing is a rich seam at present. Nursing home research. Swallowing rehabilitation. Frailty identification and prevention. Social research. There will be more older people with learning disabilities, living with HIV and in prison (offender health).
8. Do You Have Any Suggestions or Recommendations for Young Scientists, for Instance, Your Students and Young Collaborators?
Identify your interests and go for it. Look to work with experienced researchers and gain research methodology training.
9. What Do You Think of the Future of OBM Geriatrics, an Open-Access Journal? In Your Opinion, What Challenges and Developments Can We Expect to See in the Next Few Years in This Field?
It is a competitive market. Accept and publish high quality papers. Look for new authors. Commission specialist reviews, opinions pieces. Encourage short reports and case reports.
