Dr Matthew Smith
Statistician Knowledge Transfer Partnership KTP Associate
United Kingdom
I am a statistician and Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate jointly based at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and GSK. My current work focuses on integrating target trial emulation methods across multiple therapeutic areas within GSK, using real-world data to inform clinical development, regulatory strategy, and trial design. This involves the application of advanced causal inference methods and the translation of methodological research into industry practice.
I completed my PhD at LSHTM in 2020, where I examined socioeconomic inequalities in survival among patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. I also hold an MSc in Medical Statistics from LSHTM and a BSc in Mathematics from the University of Nottingham.
Before my current role, I was a postdoctoral research fellow in statistics within the Inequalities in Cancer Outcomes Network at LSHTM and co-investigator for the MRC-funded ROBEST project (Better Methods, Better Research award), which aimed to develop and promote double-robust causal inference methodology for applied researchers in public health, epidemiology, and clinical sciences.
I also hold an honorary research fellow position at the Institute of Health Informatics at University College London.
Affiliations
Teaching
I have previously contributed to postgraduate teaching on the MSc Medical Statistics course at LSHTM. This included co-organising the Causal Inference and Missing Data module and facilitating practical sessions for modules such as Generalised Linear Models and Analysis of Hierarchical and Other Dependent Data. I have also supervised MSc summer projects and served as a personal tutor to MSc students.
I currently supervise a PhD student conducting research into the relationship between mechanical ventilation and health outcomes in intensive care settings.
Research
My research focuses on the development, evaluation, and application of causal inference methods for observational data, with a particular emphasis on target trial emulation. I am especially interested in using real-world data to answer clinical questions that inform treatment decisions, trial design, and regulatory strategy.
I have contributed to the methodological advancement and applied implementation of target trial emulation, and in my current role as a Knowledge Transfer Partnership Associate between LSHTM and GSK, I am leading efforts to embed this framework across multiple therapeutic areas within the pharmaceutical setting.
My broader research includes evaluating the performance of double-robust estimators—particularly targeted maximum likelihood estimation (TMLE)—and exploring their use in longitudinal and survival data. I have published accessible introductions to causal inference for applied researchers and contributed to practical guidance for implementing TMLE and target trial emulation using real-world data.
Selected Publications
and epidemiological studies: a systematic review
