Christopher Smyser, M.D., M.S.C.I., is the A. Ernest and Jane G. Stein Professor of Developmental Neurology and Director of the Division of Pediatric and Developmental Neurology at Washington University where he is a Professor of Neurology, Pediatrics, Radiology, Psychiatry, and Neurosurgery. He is also Neurologist-in-Chief at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Dr. Smyser is a pediatric neurologist with additional training in neonatal neurology.

With a background in biomedical engineering, Dr. Smyser’s research focuses on the use of advanced neuroimaging techniques to provide greater understanding of early brain development and the pathway to neurodevelopmental disabilities. He is co-director of the Washington University Neonatal Developmental Research (WUNDER) Laboratory. Dr. Smyser’s recent research efforts have centered upon the use of resting state-functional connectivity MRI and diffusion MRI to investigate functional and structural brain development in high-risk pediatric populations from infancy through adolescence. He is currently the principal investigator for multiple NIH-funded longitudinal studies focused upon defining the deleterious effects of prematurity, brain injury and environmental exposures on neurodevelopmental and psychiatric outcomes through development and application of state-of-the-art neuroimaging approaches.