Derek Smiths reserach interest span Evolution and population dynamics of antigenically variable pathogens, particularly influenza viruses but also malaria, HIV, and HCV – Pathogen surveillance – Vaccination – Vaccine strain selection – Cross–reactive immune response – Integration of phenotypic and genetic analyses – Fitness landscapes – Epidemiology – Comparative evolution – Predictability of evolution.

Smith is also a research scientist in the Department of Virology at Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Senior Research Fellow at the U.S. National Institutes of Health Fogarty Intl. Center, and a member of the WHO committee that chooses the composition of the influenza vaccine.