David R. DeMaso

David R. DeMaso, MD, is the George P. Gardner & Olga E. Monks Professor of Child Psychiatry and Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, and a Senior Attending Psychiatrist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH). He previously served as Psychiatrist-in-Chief and Chair at BCH and currently directs the hospital’s Office of Clinician Support (OCS), an innovative wellness program he founded to support clinician well-being.

Dr. DeMaso earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1975, completed a pediatrics internship at Massachusetts General Hospital, general psychiatry residency at Duke University Medical Center, and specialized training in child and adolescent psychiatry and pediatric consultation-liaison psychiatry at Boston Children’s Hospital and the Judge Baker Guidance Center.

His research and clinical work focus on the intersection of physical and mental health in children with chronic illnesses, particularly congenital heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and epilepsy. He has pioneered integrated behavioral health models in pediatric primary and specialty care and developed digital tools such as the Experience Journals and Building Bridges of Understanding to support families and clinicians. His work emphasizes family resilience, neuropsychological outcomes, and collaborative care models.

His recent publications reflect a sustained focus on integrated care, digital mental health, and psychiatric outcomes in pediatric populations. Key themes include behavioral health integration in primary care, screening for anxiety and depression in cardiology clinics, digital interventions for youth depression, and long-term neurodevelopmental and psychosocial outcomes in congenital heart disease.

• Simon Wile Leadership in Consultation Award, AACAP (2002)
• Catcher in the Rye Award, AACAP (2009)
• Klingenstein Foundation Award for Research in Depression/Suicide (2015)
• Distinguished Life Fellow, AACAP

Dr. DeMaso has been instrumental in expanding BCH’s behavioral health continuum, developing educational programs for pediatric providers, and implementing innovative collaborations across departments and community partners. He has authored over 240 peer-reviewed articles and two textbooks in pediatric psychosomatic medicine. His leadership in residency training and global mental health observership programs underscores his commitment to education and workforce development.

He leads the Office of Clinician Support, which has provided over 5,000 individual consultations and reached more than 15,000 clinicians through group support, promoting clinician wellness and resilience. His work with the Experience Journals and digital mental health platforms represents a forward-thinking approach to patient and family engagement.