Al Smith

Al Smith is an MD/PhD physician-engineer and NIH F30 Fellow at Carle Illinois College of Medicine and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He recently completed his PhD in Computer Science in the Intelligent Motion Laboratory, where his research focused on computer vision, tracking, medical robotics, and image-guided systems for surgical and diagnostic applications. His work spans anatomy-driven navigation for neurosurgical procedures, markerless tracking for robotic eye examination, and translational device development for underserved clinical settings. Smith is also the founder of AxisMED, where student technologies are accelerated through the Biodesign process at our unique program through a rigorous 9-month curriculum. His broader goal is to develop safe, intelligent robotic systems that make complex medical procedures more accurate, scalable, and accessible.