Dr. Marie Smith-East is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and nurse scientist. Her research focuses on geographic access to health care utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS), particularly for individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

In addition to running her own telemedicine practice, she has extensive experience working in community mental health settings. She has experience as a nursing clinical instructor and facilitator, where she has contributed to curriculum and policy development for several years. Dr. Smith-East is an alumna of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Minority Fellowship Program. She has presented for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) on the "Next Big Thing" in mental health services research and has shared her expertise for what nurses need to know regarding "Teen Vaping on the Rise" for the American Psychiatric Nurses Association.

In her spare time, Dr. Smith-East enjoys volunteering with the "On-Call Team" of the Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America (SARDAA) and was the recipient of its 2019 "Volunteer of the Year" award in recognition of her four years of volunteer work assisting individuals and their families from all over the world. She also serves on the Addictions Council of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and The Salvation Army Advisory Board in her local community.