Penny Smyth, BSc, MD, FRCPC

Area of Study / Keywords

adderall cognition multiple sclerosis ocrelizumab immunomodulatory relapsing multiple sclerosis ofatumumab multiple sclerosis relapsing Progressive multi-focal leukoencephalopathy natalizumab laquinimod remyelination repair driving seizure switching therapy fingolimod novel immunomodulatory siponimod fatigue education electronic MRI imaging multiple sclerosis sodium MRI resilience multiple sclerosis epidemiology fatigue patient multiple sclerosis education depre

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About

Personal Statement:

Alberta has one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis in the world. This debilitating nerve disease, for which there is no cure, can have profound impacts on patients’ lives. My goal is to advocate and research innovative ways to deliver care to People with MS across Alberta and Canada. My goal is to build consistent high-quality care no matter where patients live. I have worked as a career medical educator in neurology, professionalism, and, over time, transitioned into administration and leadership. 

Dr. Penny Smyth is a clinical neurologist and multiple sclerosis (MS) specialist. She has been the Divisional Director of Neurology in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta since 2024, and the Edmonton Corridor Neurology Lead for Alberta Health Services since that time. She completed her Bachelor's degree at Simon Fraser University, then completed her MD degree and neurology residency at the University of Alberta. She pursued a clinical fellowship in multiple sclerosis at the University of British Columbia MS Clinic. After working as a full-time clinician for a while, she wanted to pursue her interest in academic medical education. Her recruitment to the University of Alberta in 2008 enabled that goal. In addition to her work at the Northern Alberta MS Clinic at the University of Alberta, Dr. Smyth focuses on medical education in MS and professionalism development. 

Leadership and Collaborations: 

Dr. Smyth worked as neurology residency program director, then associate program director. She then transitioned into the position of associate dean of Professionalism for Medicine & Dentistry from 2017 to 2024. Since that time, she has been Neurology Divisional Director at the University of Alberta as well as Edmonton Corridor Lead for Neurology for Alberta Health Services. She served as Vice President of the Canadian Network of MS Clinics from 2018 to 2022, and as President of the Canadian Network of MS Clinics from 2022 to 2026. With her passions in medical education and research, she was very active with the national EndMS Training Network for research trainees for a number of years, and has worked closely with MS Canada throughout her career. Her passions in research have concentrated upon novel methods of clinical care delivery to People with MS as well as exploring the use of Patient-Reported-Outcome Measures in MS care.

Clinical Interests

Dr. Smyth practices general neurology and multiple sclerosis, the latter at the Northern Alberta MS Clinic. She participated in delivering care to remote NWT and Alberta communities through an MS Mobile Clinic pilot in 2015.

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Research

In addition to the research outlined above, Dr. Smyth participates in local and multi-centre clinical trials, helping translate research knowledge into practice.  She collaborates on single- and multi-centre clinical trials and educational research, with results published in BMC Neurology, Qualitative Health Research, Journal of Stroke, Neurology and the International Journal of Rehabilitation Research amongst others. 

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Teaching

Dr. Smyth has delivered extensive classroom and bedside teaching for medical students and residents, as well as assessments of colleagues’ teaching of CanMEDS topics. Her classroom teaching has centred upon neurology topics in addition to CanMEDS topics such as professionalism, giving and receiving feedback, communication, time management, role modelling, and other topics. She has co-facilitated workshops and organized and delivered workshops and retreats. As a former neurology residency program director, she supervised residents and faculty in their teaching.  In the role of associate dean of Professionalism for the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, she mentored and developed people’s skills in professionalism and effective teaching. As Divisional Director of neurology, career mentoring has become her primary focus

Desbiens V, Wong G, Liu S, Chu NY, Watson KE, Smyth P, Tsuyuki RT

Mult Scler Relat Dis. 2026 June; 110

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Smyth P, Miyasaki JM

Continuum Neurology. 2026 April; 32 (2):596-618

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Carly Weber, Penelope Smyth, Gregg Blevins, Colin Wilbur, Derek Emery, Christian Beaulieu

Imaging Neuroscience. 2026 March; 10.1162/IMAG.a.1186

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Momen AI, Freedman MS, Fadda G, Konig A, Lee L, marrie RA, Morrow SA, McCombe JA, Parks NE, Smyth P, Casserly CS, Rotstein DL

CJNS. 2026 March;

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Oh J, Arbour N, Giuliani F, Guenette M, Kolind S, Lynd L, Marrie RA, Metz LM, Prat A, Schabas A, Smyth P, Tam R, Traboulsee A, Yong VW, Patten SB

Ther Adv Neurol Disord . 2025 November; 17

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Sarah J. Donkers, Mark Bayley, Tania R. Bruno, Ruth Ann Marrie, Robert Simpson, Penelope Smyth, Katherine B. Knox

NeuroRehabilitation. 2025 November; 10.1177/10538135251365102

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57. Lee LE, Cohen-Adad J, Vavasour IM, Guerette M, Sawicka K, Rashidi-Ranjbar N, Churchill N, Chopra A, Adelia A, Benveniste PL, Traboulsee A, Arbour N, Giuliani F, Lynd LD, Patten SB, Prat A, Schabas A, Smyth P, Tam R, Zhang Y, Graham SJ, Hodaie M, Feinstein A, Kolind S, Schweizer TA, Oh J; CanProCo Study Group

Ann Clini Transl Neurol. 2025 September; 12 (9):411-420

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49. Snyder J, Blevins G, Smyth P, Wilman AH

NMR Biomed. 2025 August; 97

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Nathan Y. Chu, Aila Jamali, Yazid N. Al Hamarneh, Kaitlyn E. Watson, Ross T. Tsuyuki, Penelope S. Smyth

Neurology Clinical Practice. 2025 August; 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000200486

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Nathan Y. Chu, Lily Yushko, Bo Pan, Yazid N. Al Hamarneh, Kaitlyn E. Watson, Ross T. Tsuyuki, Penelope Smyth

Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. 2025 July; 10.1016/j.msard.2025.106502

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Freedman MS, Clift F, Devonshire V, Emond F, Larochelle C, Levin MC, MacLean H, Morrow SA, Prat A, Selchen D, Smyth P, Vorobeychik G

CJNS. 2025 June;

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Jennifer A. McCombe, Penelope Smyth, Mahesh Kate, Helen So, Khanh Vu, Huong Luu, Karen J.B. Martins, Sylvia Aponte-Hao, Phuong Uyen Nguyen, Lawrence Richer, Tyler Williamson, Scott W. Klarenbach

Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Journal Canadien des Sciences Neurologiques. 2025 May; 10.1017/cjn.2024.288

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Balcom E, McCombe JA, Kate MP, Vu K, Martins KJB, Aponte-Hao S, Richer L, Williamson T, Klarenbach SW, Smyth PS.

Neurology. 2025 March; 104

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Gassan AA, Konig A, Nisenbaum R, Freedman MS, Lee L, Marrie RA, McCombe JA, Micieli J, Morrow SA, Parks NE, Smyth P, Rotstein DL

Mult Scler Relat Disord . 2025 February; 97

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Sadovnick D, Criscuoli M, Yee I, Carruthers R, Devonshire V, Smyth P, Krysko KM

Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. 2024 December; 10 (4):20552173241285546

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Zhu Z, Naji N, Esfahani JH, Snyder J, Seres P, Emery DJ, Noga M, Blevins G, Smyth P, Wilman AH

J Magn Reson Imaging. 2024 December; 60 (5):1867-1879

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Bakunda L, Crooks R, Johnson NA, Osei-Tutu K, Bharwani A, Gye E, Okoro DC, Hinz H, Nearing S, Peer LS, Kassam A, Smyth P, Chu P, Ruzycki S, Joneja M, Rabi DM, Barnabe C, Roach P

MedEdPublish. 2024 December; 14

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Oh, J, Bhan V, Travoulsee A, Morrow SA, Lee L, Levin M, Casserly C, Freedman MS, Giacomini PS, Emond F, Smyth P, Clift F, Selchen D

CJNS. 2024 November;

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Hahn C, Budhram A, Alikhani K, Alohaly N, Beecher G, Blevins G, Brooks J, Carruthers R, Comtois J, Cowan J, de Robles P, Hebert J, Kapadia RK, Lapointe S, Mackie A, Mason W, McLane B, Muccilli A, Poliakov I, Smyth P, Williams KG, Uy C, McCombe J

2024 October;

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34. Pecuh I, Slobodan J, McCombe JA, Morneau-Jacob FD, Smyth P, Wilbur C

CJNS. 2024 August; 51 (5):50-56

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Zaeem Z, Smyth P, Lewis M, Ruzycki S

BMC Med Educ. 2024 July; 24 (1):1376

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Rotstein D, Freedman MS, Lee L, Marrie RA, Morrow SA, McCombe J, Parks N, Smyth P, Konig A, Vyas MV

MS & Rel Dis. 2024 May; 83

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Balcom E, McCombe J, Kate M, Vu K, Martins K, Aponte-Hao S, Luu H, Richer L, Williamson T, Klarenback S, Smyth P

CJNS. 2024 April;

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Greenfield J, Metz LM, Khakban A, Llorian ER, Michaux KD, Traboulsee A, Oh J, Smyth P, Lynd LD, Bulloch AGM, Williams JVA, Patten SB

Mult Scler & Relat Dis. 2023 September; 80

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Giacomini PS, Oh J, Morrow SA, Beauchemin P, Clift F, Devonshire V, Smyth P

CJNS. 2023 June;

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Zoya Zaeem, Penelope Smyth, Sharla King, Vijay J. Daniels

Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Journal Canadien des Sciences Neurologiques. 2023 May; 10.1017/cjn.2022.50

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Sadovnick D, Criscuoli M, Yee I, Carruthers R, Schabas A, Devonshire V, Smyth P

Mult Scler. 2023 March; 22

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Nathan Y. Chu, Kaitlyn E. Watson, Yazid N. Al Hamarneh, Lily Yushko, Ross T. Tsuyuki, Penelope Smyth

BMC Neurology. 2023 February; 10.1186/s12883-023-03090-0

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Penelope Smyth, Kaitlyn E. Watson, Yazid N. Al Hamarneh, Ross T. Tsuyuki

BMC Neurology. 2022 December; 10.1186/s12883-022-02809-9

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Sorayya Askari, Dorothy Kessler, Penelope Smyth, Marcia Finlayson

Clinical Rehabilitation. 2022 September; 10.1177/02692155221107074

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Zaeem Z., Smyth P., King S., Daniels V.J.

Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences. 2022 April; 10.1017/cjn.2022.50

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30. Marrie RA, Donkers S, Jichici D, Hrebicek O, Metz L, Morrow S, Oh J, Petrin J, Smyth P, Devonshire V

Frontiers in Neurology. 2022 March; 13

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Valdés Cabrera D., Smyth P., Blevins G., Emery D., Beaulieu C.

European Journal of Neuroscience. 2022 January; 55 (1):277-294 10.1111/ejn.15539

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Santarossa T.M., So R., Smyth P., Gustavsen D.S., Tsuyuki D.R.T.

Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. 2022 January; 59 10.1016/j.msard.2022.103638

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Smyth P.

Canadian Cardiovascular Journal. 2021 December; 3 (12):S118-S129 10.1016/j.cjco.2021.08.004

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Smyth P., Watson K.E., Tsuyuki R.T.

Trials. 2021 November; 22 (1) 10.1186/s13063-021-05726-3

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Stobbe R., Boyd A., Smyth P., Emery D., Valdés Cabrera D., Beaulieu C.

Frontiers in Neurology. 2021 November; 12 10.3389/fneur.2021.693447

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Oh J., Arbour N., Giuliani F., Guenette M., Kolind S., Lynd L., Marrie R.A., Metz L.M., Patten S.B., Prat A., Schabas A., Smyth P., Tam R., Traboulsee A., Yong V.W.

BMC Neurology. 2021 October; 21 (1) 10.1186/s12883-021-02447-7

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8th Joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS Meeting - MSVirtual2020. 2021 September;

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Sadovnick D., Criscuoli M., Yee I., Carruthers R., Schabas A., Smyth P.

Multiple Sclerosis Journal - Experimental, Translational and Clinical. 2021 July; 7 (3) 10.1177/20552173211032313

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Martel K, Smyth P, Dhillon M, Rabi DM, Wirtzfeld D, Ruzycki SM

Canadian Health Policy. 2021 July; 2562- 9492

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Smyth P, Birkman C, Hodgson C.

CMEJ. 2021 July; 10.36834/cmej.71908

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Stobbe R, Boyd A, Smyth P, Emery D, Cabrera DV and Beaulieu C

Front. Neurol. 2021 June; 12 10.3389/fneur.2021.693447

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Canadian Conference on Medical Education 2021. 2021 April;

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Canadian Conference on Medical Education 2021. 2021 April;

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Cheng C., Gomez D., McCombe J.A., Smyth P., Giuliani F., Blevins G., Baker G.B., Power C.

Neurological Sciences. 2021 January; 10.1007/s10072-021-05203-4

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8th Joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS Meeting - MSVirtual2020. 2020 September;

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Diana Valdés Cabrera, Robert Stobbe, Penelope Smyth, Fabrizio Giuliani, Derek Emery, Christian Beaulieu

Brain and Behavior. 2020 January; 10.1002/brb3.1514

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BMC Neurology. 2019 January; 10.1186/s12883-019-1367-6

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Annals of Neurology. 2018 January; 10.1002/ana.25359

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International Journal of Rehabilitation Research. 2018 January; 10.1097/MRR.0000000000000271

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Journal of Stroke. 2018 January; 10.5853/jos.2017.00178.e1

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Journal of Stroke. 2018 January; 10.5853/jos.2017.00178

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Neurology. 2018 January; 10.1212/WNL.0000000000005611

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Qualitative Health Research. 2018 January; 10.1177/1049732317753584

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International Journal of MS Care. 2017 January; 10.7224/1537-2073.2016-014

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Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2017 January; 10.1136/oemed-2015-103489

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Smyth, P. Hodgson C

Essay Collection. Keeping Reflections Fresh. . 2016 April;

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Journal of Neurology. 2016 January; 10.1007/s00415-015-8005-z

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Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases. 2016 January; 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2016.01.034

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PeerJ. 2015 January; 10.7717/peerj.1158

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BMC Health Services Research. 2015 January; 10.1186/s12913-015-0835-y

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Seizure. 2015 January; 10.1016/j.seizure.2015.05.004

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BMJ Open. 2014 January; 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005718

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Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2014 January; 10.1097/AOG.0000000000000541

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Beckmann K, Bogumil T, Ebers GC, Goodin DS, Konieczny A, Langdon D, Li D, Reder AT, Traboulsee A

2010 June; 10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181e240d0

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Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. 2010 January; 10.1136/jnnp.2010.208173

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Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. 2008 January; 10.1136/jnnp.2008.145805

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BMC Neurology. 2008 January; 10.1186/1471-2377-8-30

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Multiple Sclerosis. 2007 January; 10.1177/1352458507080468

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Journal of Child Neurology. 2003 January; 10.1177/08830738030180061401

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