About

Anthony H. Smith is an associate professor in the Computer and Information Technology Department at Purdue University. He has over 15 years of experience in various technical roles and a decade of experience with computer technologies, including LAN, WAN, and wireless network design and implementation. His educational background includes a BS in Business Administration from Wittenberg University and an MS in Technology from Purdue University, obtained in 1994. Smith's industrial experience spans large corporate and small business environments, where he has served in management and systems engineering roles, designing and consulting on numerous corporate and municipal networks, with extensive application development and project management expertise. His current academic focus involves teaching and conducting applied research in local and wide-area wireless network design, implementation, and security. He also maintains an active consultancy dedicated to wireless networks, particularly focused on wide-area wire-line replacement strategies. Smith's research interests include broadband wireless access, automated antenna systems, and wireless network facilities. Throughout his career, he has received multiple awards and recognitions for his teaching and research contributions, and he is actively engaged in industry collaborations and research projects.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Physical therapy
• Emergency medicine
• Psychiatry
• Internal medicine
• Biomedical engineering
• Pathology
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation
• Nursing
• Surgery

Selected publications

• Knee health and associations with female-specific health, physical, psychological and social-gendered factors in women runners: the TRAIL-W cohort study protocol

  BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen access

  Introduction Running is a popular recreational activity worldwide, with women’s participation growing rapidly over the past decade. Compared with men, women runners are more likely to sustain a running-related injury, such as bone stress and knee injuries. Following a serious knee injury and subsequent surgery, women also experience worse knee and health-related outcomes than men. However, little is known about the intersection of female-specific health, physical, psychological and social-gendered factors with knee health in women runners with and without a history of knee surgery. Methods and analysis Building on the established ‘TRAjectory of knee heaLth in runners’ ( TRAIL ) prospective cohort study and designed with patient and content-expert partners, the nested TRAIL-W study will comprehensively explore the associations of multiple factors (ie, female-specific health, physical, psychological and social gendered) with knee health (symptoms and structural features), device-measured running load and running-related pain in women runners. Where appropriate, we will explore sex and/or gender differences. Alongside their scheduled TRAIL 6-monthly data collection, all active TRAIL female and male participants will be invited to complete a once-off ‘ TRAIL-W survey’ and attend an additional laboratory-based assessment. The survey will include questionnaires measuring psychological, social gendered and, for women only, female-specific health factors. The laboratory assessment will measure body composition, bone mineral density and blood biomarkers. A subset of women will be invited to participate in qualitative interviews to understand women runners’ experiences of female-specific health factors and their association with running behaviour. Ethics and dissemination Findings from TRAIL-W, approved by the La Trobe University Human Ethics Committee, will address critical research gaps by describing and exploring the diverse factors that may influence women runners’ knee health.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• What are the valued attributes and perceived risks of harm in digital technologies and AI-enabled digital coaches among youth living with chronic musculoskeletal pain? An exploratory, mixed-methods study

  Journal of Pain · 2026-03-11

  articleOpen access

  Youth (16-24 years) experiencing chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) value access to digitally-supportive care. Adopting a three-phase design, we aimed to identify and validate youth's preferences for digital health solutions (DHSs) to support their CMP self-care and measure their preferences for artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled digital coaches and perceived risks of harm. Phase 1 involved focus groups with 20 youth experiencing CMP, applying content analysis to explore the attributes they consider when choosing digitally-supportive care. Phase 2 involved a two-round eDelphi (n=20 youth) to validate attributes identified in Phase 1, rank the importance of digital coach-related attributes, and identify risks of harm with digitally-supportive CMP care. Phase 3 involved two discrete choice experiments (n=41 youth) to measure preferences for digital coach-related attributes and risks of harm. Phase 1 produced 31 discrete attributes of DHSs (11 digital coach-related). Phase 2 validated 31 attributes and identified six risks of harm. Phase 3 identified three most preferred digital coach-related attributes (sample mean[SD] weights representing relative importance): 'Generates a pain self-care plan' (19·6[14·5]%); 'Learns my preferences for my pain self-care' (15·9[12·9]%); and 'Supports my healthcare visits' (11·1[12·4]%). The three most concerning risks of harm were: 'Quality of pain care advice and guidance' (31·8[17·3]%); 'Information being consistent with advice from my healthcare team' (25·8[17·5]%); and 'Data security protections' (14·8[17·6]%). Youth consider a range of attributes and potential harms of DHSs to support their CMP care; a subset appears to be most important. These attributes and risks of harm should be considered in co-design of digitally-supportive CMP care for youth. PERSPECTIVE: The results identify that a subset of digital coach-related attributes and risks of harm dominate youth's preferences for digitally-supportive chronic musculoskeletal pain care. These attributes and risks of harm should be considered in co-design of digital health solutions, and in positioning a solution within a clinical care ecosystem.

  PublisherDOI

• More Than Fear of Reinjury – A Multidimensional Experience of Reinjury Concerns: A Systematic Review With Qualitative Evidence Synthesis of Athletes’ Experience and Interpretation of “ <i>Reinjury Concerns</i> ” After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

  Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy · 2026-02-05

  articleSenior author

  OBJECTIVE: To explore athletes’ experiences of “reinjury concerns” in those with lived experience of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. DESIGN: Systematic review with qualitative evidence synthesis. LITERATURE SEARCH: CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and ProQuest Dissertations were searched until January 2025. STUDY SELECTION CRITERIA: Two reviewers independently and in parallel screened studies for inclusion if they were (1) qualitative or mixed-methods; (2) included participants who were athletes with lived experience of an ACL injury; (3) reported the phenomenon of interest, “reinjury concerns,” within the findings; and (4) published in English. DATA SYNTHESIS: We applied thematic synthesis based on Thomas and Harden’s approach aligned to a constructivist paradigm and followed relevant checklists for performing and reporting a systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis. Confidence in the findings was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation–Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research (GRADE-CERQual). RESULTS: Forty-five studies were included, comprising 611 participants. Themes described how athletes assessed the threat of reinjury (theme 1), experienced reinjury concerns across a multidimensional spectrum (theme 2), and coped with reinjury concerns (theme 3). Confidence in the findings was mostly rated moderate-high according to the GRADE-CERQual assessment. CONCLUSION: Athletes’ experiences of reinjury concerns after ACL injury were multidimensional and shaped by individual beliefs and contexts. Our findings support shifting from the narrow construct fear of reinjury toward a broader conceptualization of reinjury concerns that more accurately reflects athletes’ lived experiences and may better inform assessment and clinical approaches after ACL injury. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2026;56(3):135-157. Epub 5 February 2026. doi:10.2519/jospt.2026.13852

  PublisherDOI

• Comparison of sleep biomechanics between children with cerebral palsy and their typically developing peers using wearable sensors: Feasibility study

  Sleep Medicine · 2025-11-21

  articleOpen access

  AIM: Examine the feasibility of wearable sensors to measure sleep biomechanics in typically developing (TD) children and children with cerebral palsy (CP) and compare sleep biomechanics between each group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven children with CP (4 male, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) I-II: n = 7, GMFCS IV-V: n = 4), and 19 TD children (11 male) aged 5-18 yrs wore sensors during sleep for five nights. Body rotation was coded using the Body Orientation During Sleep Framework to measure repositioning profiles. Feasibility (e.g. comfort, reliability) was assessed against endpoints, and mixed models compared sleep biomechanics across TD, CP-GMFCS I-II, and CP-GMFCS IV-V groups. RESULTS: Wearable sensors were well tolerated (>80 % satisfaction). There were no significant differences between TD and GMFCS I-II profiles. The GMFCS IV-V group demonstrated significantly (p < 0.001) fewer repositionings per hour than the TD group (TD: mean 2.72 ± 0.38, CP-GMFCS I-II: 2.7 ± 0.65, GMFCS IV-V: 0.46 ± 0.61). INTERPRETATION: Children with CP with higher gross motor impairment had reduced rates of repositioning in sleep. This has been proposed as contributing to the development of Body Shape Distortion; more research is needed. Sleep biomechanics recorded using wearable sensors could provide a low-cost approach to the long-term measurement and monitoring of repositioning during sleep.

  PublisherDOI

• What informs the choices young people living with chronic musculoskeletal pain make about their care? A qualitative analysis of focus groups with young people in Australia

  Disability and Rehabilitation · 2025-11-18 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  PURPOSE: a digital health solution (DHS) could support their care. METHODS: A cross-sectional, exploratory qualitative study involving 20 young people (16-24 years) experiencing CMP. Eight focus groups were conducted, guided by a focus group schedule. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: ." DHSs can support young people prioritize their CMP care options. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding young people's values, alongside their care needs is critical to delivering person-centred care. A tailored DHS can value-add to young people's CMP care by helping to minimize the burden of self-care, health service navigation and interactions with healthcare providers.

  PublisherDOI

• Clinical practice guidelines for the care of people experiencing chronic primary pain: protocol for a systematic review with interpretation against an established chronic pain care priority framework

  BMJ Open · 2025-09-01 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: where an experience of pain cannot be better accounted for by another condition. CPGs for chronic primary pain, agnostic to condition or body part, may support clinicians towards best pain care since many of the principles of person-centred chronic pain care are transdiagnostic. The two aims of this systematic review are to (1) identify and appraise CPGs for chronic primary pain, relevant across the life course and (2) map the CPG content against a pain care priority framework to evaluate the extent to which the CPG content aligns with the priorities of people with lived chronic pain experience. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will systematically search nine scholarly databases, the Epistemonikos database and international and national guidelines clearinghouses. CPGs published within 2015-2025, in any language, that offer recommendations about assessment and/or management of chronic primary pain for people of any age, excluding hospitalised inpatients or institutionalised populations, will be included. Pairs of reviewers will independently screen citations for eligibility and appraise CPG quality and implementation potential using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE)-II and the AGREE-Recommendations Excellence tools, respectively. Data extraction will include the citation and scope characteristics of each CPG, methods used to develop recommendations, verbatim recommendations, guiding principles or practice information and narrative excerpts related to the GRADE Evidence-to-Decision (EtD) considerations (or equivalent). We will use the PROGRESS-PLUS framework as a checklist to identify whether determinants of health equity were considered by guideline developers. CPG recommendations will be organised according to common topics and categorised in a matrix according to strength and direction. Qualitative content analysis will be used to synthesise excerpts relating to GRADE EtD considerations (or equivalent), and we will map extracted data against an established chronic pain care priority framework to determine the extent to which the CPGs align with values and preferences of people with lived experience. Interpretation will be informed by an interdisciplinary Advisory Group, including lived experience partners. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required for this systematic review. Results will be disseminated through publication in an open-access peer-reviewed journal, through professional societies, and integrated into education curricula and public-facing resources. Reporting will be consistent with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD420251000482.

  PublisherDOI

• “It’s kind of just like a never-ending cycle”: Young people’s experiences of co-existing chronic musculoskeletal pain and mental health conditions

  Journal of Pain · 2025-05-01 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access

  Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) imposes a significant burden on young people (16-24yrs), impacting their physical, social, and emotional wellbeing and functioning during a critical developmental period as they transition from adolescence to young adulthood. The prevalence of mental health conditions also peaks around this age group, with CMP and mental health conditions being frequently comorbid. Existing epidemiological evidence recognises the relationship as bidirectional; however, there is little in-depth qualitative evidence about how young people experience living with co-existing CMP and mental health conditions. A Constructivist Grounded Theory approach was used. Young people, 16-24 years, living in Australia with self-reported co-existing CMP and mental health conditions were invited to participate in interviews to explore their lived and health care experiences. Twenty-one young people were included (5 men, 1 transgender person, 1 non-binary person, and 14 women). A core category of 'a feedback loop of pain and mental health', characterised the interconnectedness of CMP and mental health in these young people. This feedback loop was influenced both helpfully and unhelpfully by intrapersonal factors (emotions, cognitions, behaviours), interpersonal factors (healthcare interactions, relationships, and sense of self) and their personal context (societal discourse about pain, and mental health including stigma and environmental factors). 'A feedback loop of pain and mental health' suggests the need for a whole person, interdisciplinary approach that is titrated to the needs of the young person and addresses both CMP and mental health concurrently. Further research is needed to test the clinical utility of such a model. PERSPECTIVE: This study highlights the complex bidirectional feedback loop between chronic musculoskeletal pain and mental health in young people aged 16-24. These findings emphasise the need for interdisciplinary, whole-person approaches to concurrently address both conditions. Future research should explore the clinical utility of such models.

  PublisherDOI

• Rate, Mode, Reasons and Factors Associated With Re‐Presentation in People Diagnosed With Musculoskeletal Conditions at a Single Emergency Department: A Cross‐Sectional Exploratory Study

  Emergency Medicine Australasia · 2025-08-29 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVE: To explore the rate, mode, and reasons for re-presentations for emergency department (ED) patients with musculoskeletal diagnoses and examine factors associated with increased odds of re-presentation. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional audit of re-presentation patterns for patients with musculoskeletal diagnoses presenting to the study ED in 2023. The study ED was in a secondary hospital in Perth, Western Australia, which operates a diversion pathway (daily, 10 am-6 pm) for patients with musculoskeletal diagnoses. RESULTS: In 2023, 3677 patients with musculoskeletal diagnoses were diverted from the ED, 972 provided research consent and of those, 143 (14.7%) re-presented. Importantly, 10 (1.0%) patients re-presented to the ED itself, and 133 (13.7%) re-presented to the physiotherapy outpatient diversion clinic. There were 65 scheduled and 78 unscheduled re-presentations, with telehealth the preferred mode of contact (n = 86, 60.1%). Clinician diagnostic uncertainty, identified patient psychosocial issues, and concern that the patient would re-present to the ED most commonly resulted in scheduled re-presentation (n = 31, 47.7%). Unscheduled re-presentations focused on administrative inquiries (e.g., hospital referrals, medical certificates) (n = 31, 39.7%) and concern for symptoms (n = 25, 32.1%). Older age, high pain severity, and lower limb affected body region were associated with increased odds of re-presentation. CONCLUSIONS: ED clinicians may reduce re-presentation by employing targeted strategies such as shared decision-making about pain management, ensuring a shared understanding of the diagnosis, or stage of the diagnostic process and likely course of symptoms. Further, a follow-up plan that is clinically indicated and patient acceptable may be critical for those with increased odds of re-representation.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Is Lifting Technique Related to Pain and Functional Limitation? A Replicated Single‐Case Design Study of Five People With Lifting‐Related Chronic Low Back Pain

  European Journal of Pain · 2025-07-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is often provoked by lifting activities, but the relationship between changes in lifting technique and clinical outcomes while undergoing intervention remains unclear. This study examined the within-person relationships between changes in lifting technique and changes in pain and functional limitation in people with lifting-related CLBP. METHODS: Five participants with lifting-related CLBP completed repeated measures of their lifting techniques, pain and functional limitation across baseline (4-6 weeks), intervention (12 weeks) and follow-up periods (3 months). Participants received up to 10 sessions of Cognitive Functional Therapy (CFT) during the intervention period. Wearable sensors measured the spinal and lower extremities' range of motion (ROM) and velocity during a repeated lift task. Pain and functional limitation were assessed via online questionnaires. Within-person relationships were estimated using cross-correlation analyses. RESULTS: All participants demonstrated changes in lifting technique throughout the study, though with varied timing and direction. Changes in lifting technique were frequently related to changes in functional limitation (18/25 relationships, 72%) and sometimes to changes in pain (13/25 relationships, 52%). When relationships were observed, reductions in pain and functional limitation were predominantly (27/31 relationships, 87%) associated with a transition along a continuum from squat-like towards semi-squat-like and stoop-like lifting techniques with faster lifting movements. CONCLUSIONS: Within-person changes in lifting technique varied among individuals. Greater trunk ROM and velocity, lower knee ROM and velocity, and faster lifting movements often co-occurred with lower levels of pain and functional limitation. This reflects a transition along a continuum from squat-like towards semi-squat-like and stoop-like lifting techniques. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Our study reveals that changes in lifting technique may relate to clinical improvements in people with lifting-related CLBP on an individual basis. Contrary to conventional clinical and ergonomic advice promoting 'safe' squat lifting techniques, our findings suggest that transition from squat-like towards semi-squat-like and stoop-like lifting techniques with faster lifting movements often corresponds with reductions in pain and functional limitation. These findings challenge pervasive recommendations for squat lifting and support an individualised multi-dimensional approach to managing people with lifting-related CLBP.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Does motion sensor biofeedback augment change in movement? A longitudinal study of lifting spinal kinematics in people with chronic low back pain undergoing Cognitive Functional Therapy with and without biofeedback

  Musculoskeletal Science and Practice · 2025-02-12 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Lifting is a functional movement commonly assessed and targeted in the treatment of people with low back pain (LBP). OBJECTIVE: To investigate changes in spinal range of motion (ROM) and velocity during lifting in people with lifting-related LBP over the course of Cognitive Functional Therapy (CFT), and to compare these changes between CFT-only and CFT-with-biofeedback. DESIGN: Longitudinal observational study. METHOD: One hundred and forty-one people with lifting-related LBP received CFT and performed a lifting task prior to each treatment session. Measures included ROM and velocity from trunk and pelvis sensors independently and the intersensor angle. Multilevel models estimated the average amount of change and inter-individual variability. Time-group interaction was used to test the differences in the mean change between CFT-only and CFT-with-biofeedback. RESULTS: During the 13-week intervention period, the average trunk and pelvis ROM increased significantly between week 1 and week 8 (10.6°, 95% CI: 5.9, 15.4; 10.4°, 95% CI: 6.9, 14.0), while the average intersensor ROM did not change over 13 weeks (-0.79°, 95% CI: -3.74, 2.16). The average trunk, pelvis and intersensor velocity increased significantly up to weeks 9 or 10 (17.8°/sec, 95% CI: 14.0, 21.6; 10.8°/sec, 95% CI: 8.3, 13.4; 6.0°/sec, 95% CI: 3.7, 8.3). There was no evidence for differences in change in ROM or velocity measures between CFT-only and CFT-with-biofeedback (P = 0.14-0.64). CONCLUSIONS: People with lifting-related LBP demonstrated increases in trunk and pelvis ROM and all velocity measures but not intersensor ROM during lifting over the course of CFT. Biofeedback did not augment changes in lifting kinematics.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R01NS019173

  NIH · $297k · 1989

• NIH Grant R01DC002527

  NIH · $1.9M · 2003

• Physiological Correlates of Stuttering

  NIH · $10.9M · 1988–2019

Frequent coauthors

• Peter O’Sullivan

  347 shared

• Leon Straker

  Curtin University

  295 shared

• Darren Beales

  Curtin University

  216 shared

• Steven J. Linton

  Örebro University

  88 shared

• Maria Larsson

  University of Gothenburg

  81 shared

• Pieter Coenen

  Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research

  73 shared

• Glenn Pransky

  American College of Financial Services

  67 shared

• Mark N. Harris

  66 shared

Awards & honors

• Polytechnic research awards - September 2024
• Polytechnic research awards - February 2024
• Polytechnic research awards - November 2023
• Polytechnic research awards - November 2021
• Polytechnic research awards - October 2021