Scott H. Maurer, MD

  • Professor of Pediatrics and Clinical & Translational Science
  • Chief, Division of Palliative Medicine & Supportive Care
  • Medical Director, Supportive Care Program, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
  • Member, Division of Hematology/Oncology

Dr. Scott Maurer received his MD from Oregon Health & Science University, completed pediatrics training at the University of Washington – Seattle Children’s Hospital, and received fellowship training in pediatric hematology/oncology and palliative medicine training at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  He is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in general pediatrics, pediatric hematology/oncology, and hospice and palliative medicine.

Maurer is an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and he is also chief of the Division of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.  He oversees a busy pediatric palliative care service and co-created a perinatal palliative care program.  He teaches and mentors faculty, fellows, residents, and medical students in clinical medicine and research.  His research interests include decision making support for children with incurable cancer, allowing children to self-report their tolerance of chemotherapy, improving resilience in children with serious illness, exploring spirituality concerns in children with life-limiting illness, and improvements in bereavement support.

Professional and Scientific Society Memberships

  • American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 2008-Present
  • American Academy of Pediatrics, 2015-Present

Education & Training

  • BA, Biology, Wittenberg University, 2000
  • MD, Oregon Health and Science University, 2004
  • Residency and Internship in Pediatrics, University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital, 2004-2007
  • Fellowship in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 2007-2010

Selected Publications

Maurer S, Hinds P, Reeve B, Mack J, McFatrich, M, Lin L, Withycombe J, Jacobs S, Baker J, Castellino S, Freyer D. “Patients, Caregivers, and Clinicians Differ in Performance Status Ratings: Implications for Pediatric Cancer Clinical Trials” Cancer. 2021. 127(19):3664-3670. PMID: 34196962.

Hinds P, Pinheiro L, McFatrich M, Waldron M, Baker J, Mowbray C, Maurer S, Cheng Y, Reeve B, Wang J. Recommended Scoring Approach for the Pediatric Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2021. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34866311.

Freyer D, Lin L, Mack J, Maurer S, McFatrich M, Baker J, Jacobs S, Lucas N, Withycombe J, Tomlinson D, Villabroza K, Waldron M, Hinds P, Reeve B. Lack of Concordance in Symptomatic Adverse Event Reporting by Children, Clinicians, and Caregivers: Implications for Cancer Clinical Trials. J Clin Oncol. 2022. 40(15):1623-1634. PMID: 35294262.

Reuman H, Kerr K, Sidani J, Felker J, Escobar-Viera C, Shensa A, Maurer S. Living in an Online World: Social Media Experiences of Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2022. 69(6):e29666. PMID: 35293691.

Jacobs S, Withycombe J, Castellino S, Lin L, Mack J, McFatrich M, Baker J, Freyer D, Maurer S, Mowbray C, Hinds P, Reeve B. “Longitudinal use of patient reported outcomes in pediatric leukemia and lymphoma reveals clinically relevant symptomatic adverse events.” Pediatr Blood Cancer 2022. 69(12):e29986. PMID: 36151978

Reuman H, Maurer S, Harris K, Brown A. Assessing Pediatric Resident Needs in Grief and Bereavement Education.” J Pain Symptom Manage. 2024. 68(4):e312-e318. PMID: 38969263.

Lucas C, Mack M, Majeski J, Maurer S. Exploring perceptions of inpatient hospital attire in children with cancer. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2024. 71(9):e31167. PMID: 38963191.

Rosenberg A, Fladeboe K, Zhou C, Bradford M, Kang T, Maurer S, Freyer D, Baker K, Comiskey L, Junkins C, Taylor M, Frazier J. Promoting Resilience in Stress Management: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Novel Psychosocial Intervention for Adolescents and Young Adults with Advanced Cancer. J Clin Oncol Practice. 2025. 28:OP2500161. PMID: 40294356.

Mack M, Claxton R, Arnold R, Maurer S. “Peds OncoTalk: A Curriculum to Teach Communication Skills to Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellows.” Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2025. 72(11):e31912. PMID: 40692208.

Wong R, Canzler K, Graham J, Schulze A, Maurer S, Napolitano N, Morrison W, Tamburro R. A Multisite Survey of Pediatric Respiratory Therapists Regarding End-of-Life Care in Children. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2025. Nov;60(11):e71398. PMID: 41267347.

Full Publication List via NIH PubMed »

Research Grants

National Cancer Institute, PTE Federal Award No: 1R01CA269574-01, Promoting Resilience in Early Survivorship among Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer (Site Principal Investigator), 2022-Present

National Cancer Institute, PTE Federal Award No: 1K99CA267481-01, Addressing Social Needs of Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs) with Cancer (Co-mentor for K99 & Site PI for R00 portion.), 2022-Present

CV