Before moving to Exeter in 2010, Dr Shaw-Smith was Honorary Consultant and University Lecturer in Medical Genetics at the East Anglia Regional Genetics service based at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.  He previously held training posts in Clinical Genetics in Cambridge and Birmingham.

Dr Shaw-Smith provides NHS clinics throughout the Peninsula Region (Devon and Cornwall), seeing patients with personal or family histories of conditions within cardiac genetics, renal genetics and neurogenetics; and children with developmental delay or congenital malformations. Dr Shaw-Smith is not active in the field of cancer genetics.

Dr Shaw-Smith has a strong background in research having held Training and Intermediate level Fellowships funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Dr Shaw-Smith also has a background in innovation, with close involvement in the introduction of arrayCGH into routine clinical practice.  He served as lead for Rare Disease within the SouthWest Genomic Medicine Service within the UK 100,000 Genomes Project. More recently, he has been closely involved in implementation of electronic patient records and Voice Recognition software at the Royal Devon University Hospital.

Dr Shaw-Smith undertakes medico-legal work.