Maureen Smith’s commitment to patient engagement and patient partnered research stems from her diagnosis with a rare disease during childhood and frequent flyer status with the healthcare system. She has benefitted both from participating in clinical trials and collaborating with clinical trialists as a patient partner. For the past 25 years she has shared a patient or public perspective on provincial, national, and international healthcare committees and advisory bodies. In June 2023 Maureen was appointed Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health, a recognition of the expertise she has acquired in patient engagement as a person with lived experience.