Dr. Shawn Smith is from Detroit, MI. She received her BS in Biology from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA, and her MD from Boston University School of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency training at The University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital.

She is a Pediatric and Neonatal ICU Hospitalist at Lurie Children's Hospital and Prentice Women's Hospital in Chicago, IL. She is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine.

She is a Distinguished Clinician, the Director of Health Equity Learning and Development for the Department of Pediatrics, and the Site Lead for the Prentice NICU Hospitalists. She sits on the Northwestern Medicine Pediatrics and Neonatology Operations Committee, The Lurie Children's Pediatric Residency Committee, and the Faculty Advisory Board. Dr. Smith is a Faculty Lead in the Office of Faculty Development, coaching faculty for promotion, and a Course Director for the Northwestern Women in Medicine annual conference.

Dr. Smith was awarded multiple grants to bring awareness of implicit bias in medicine. She is a 2021 Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC) Fellow, a member of the National Medical Association (NMA), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Chicago Metropolitan Chapter, and Jack & Jill of America, Inc., Lake Shore Chapter; National Medical Association (NMA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). She sits on the African American Legacy (AAL) board, an affinity of Chicago Community Trust.

She resides in Chicago, IL, with her husband and two sons.