Brad Smith's creative work addresses the intersections of science and art with a focus on bio-technology and its impact on society’s understanding of the social, ethical, and political status of the embryo and other biological subjects. Smith also explores visualization methods for the study of cardiovascular development and has established protocols for Magnetic Resonance Microscopy study of development. He creates animations and graphics demonstrating developmental biology for museums and documentary film companies. He is a Professor at the Stamps School of Art and Design, University of Michigan and Research Professor in Radiology. Smith holds a B.U.S. degree with majors in Biology and Art from the University of Utah, an M.A. in Medical Illustration from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and a Ph.D. in Anatomy with an emphasis in developmental biology from Duke University.

At Duke University, Smith created innovative visualization methods to study cardiovascular development and established globally adapted protocols for Magnetic Resonance Microscopy study of embryos using novel MRI contrast agents. His research has been published in notable journals such as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Developmental Biology, and Magnetic Resonance in Medicine as well as the popular journal Scientific American. He served as principal investigator on major NIH and State supported projects, and as co-investigator on federally supported research.

At Michigan, Smith has led the implementation of a new and unique three-year Masters of Fine Arts curriculum that engages the creative work of artists and designers with work from disciplines such as the life sciences, sociology, education, law, ecology, politics, business, and other fields.