Amy A. Smith, MD - Pediatric Hematology & Oncology

Amy Smith, MD, is a board-certified pediatric hematologist-oncologist with specialized training in pediatric neuro-oncology. She serves as the division chief of the Haley Center for Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and director of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Program. Dr. Smith joined Orlando Health Arnold Palmer in 2011 and has expanded the program into one of the largest pediatric neuro-oncology services in the southeastern United States. In addition to clinical growth, Dr. Smith has been instrumental in expanding research and clinical trial offerings for families. She has spent her career caring for infants, children and young adults fighting central nervous system tumors.

The Very Best Care

Dr. Smith wants the very best care for each child and their family who walk through the hospital doors, and she considers every child a priority. In an environment created for children to "feel at home", families are included in treatment planning that includes conventional therapies, the newest advancements and access to clinical trials. Dr. Smith’s goal is to aggressively protect her patient’s quality of life and return them to the healthiest possible childhood.

Dr. Smith’s Training

Dr. Smith earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. She then completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, including an internship and residency in pediatrics and fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology and bone marrow transplantation with a specialization in pediatric neuro-oncology.

About Dr. Smith

Dr. Smith is one of the nation’s leading pediatric neuro-oncologists and has received many honors and awards for her work. In addition to caring for children, she has participated in nearly 30 clinical research studies, typically as the principal investigator.

Since 2008 she has been an investigator for the Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutics Investigators’ Consortium (POETIC), an early phase research group focused on first-in-child clinical and basic research work. Dr. Smith is the national chair for the world’s largest study of ependymoma, a commonly diagnosed CNS cancer, and has successfully led the recruitment of nearly 500 children in this study. She currently serves as the co-chair of the ependymoma subcommittee of the NCI-supported Children’s Oncology Group.

In 2014, Dr. Smith was appointed to the Florida Cancer and Research Advisory Council by the governor, a role she still holds. She also is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Central Florida, College of Medicine and a member of several professional organizations. These include the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Society of Hematology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Pediatric Oncology, and Children’s Oncology Group.

Dr. Smith has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, chapters and other research work.