After graduating with a degree in social work from the University of Texas, Ms. Anne Smith worked as a Case Manager supporting people with HIV facing various issues including homelessness and drug addiction. She moved onto manage the agency’s HIV testing clinic and HIV prevention programs. In 2008, she joined the JET Program and moved to Akita, Japan. After her JET experience, her interest in the changing environment of Japanese health policy led her to Columbia University’s School of Public Health, where she earned her MPH with a certificate in health policy analysis in 2014. That same year, she returned to Japan and joined Health and Global Policy Institute(HGPI), where manages global health projects, leads a global leadership program, and works to share information about Japanese health policy with the world.
She is also a Project Assistant Professor in the Global Health Policy Department at the University of Tokyo and a member of the MHLW’s Global Health Working Group.