Dr. Sarah L. Maxwell is a pediatric gastroenterologist and hepatologist who cares for children with a range of liver disorders, including metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD (fat buildup in the liver that over time can cause liver inflammation, scar tissue and serious liver disease requiring a liver transplant) and conditions requiring liver transplantation. She also cares for children with obesity, working with them on reaching a healthy weight in collaboration with their families.
Maxwell's research seeks to identify factors that put children at risk of developing MASLD. Her studies were among the first to find an association between household food insecurity during early childhood and the development of MASLD later in childhood. Supported by awards from the American Gastroenterological Association and from UCSF, she will be piloting a voucher program that provides fruits and vegetables to young MASLD patients with household food insecurity as a means of reducing the severity of their disease. Her ultimate goals are to develop interventions that reduce MASLD severity and to prevent it from developing in as many children as possible.
Maxwell earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology and health policy at Harvard College. She earned her medical degree at the Medical University of South Carolina. She completed a residency in pediatrics at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, followed by fellowships in pediatric gastroenterology and pediatric transplant hepatology at UCSF.
Maxwell is a member of the American Gastroenterological Association, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American College of Gastroenterology, and North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.
Having grown up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Maxwell is a huge fan of the Boston Celtics and more recently the Golden State Warriors. She enjoys swimming, art, and exploring the diverse environments of Northern California.
