Scott W. Powers, PhD, ABPP, FAHS

A photo of Scott Powers.

Pediatric Psychologist, Research, Division of Behavioral Medicine & Clinical Psychology

Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation Endowed Chair
Scientific Director, Clinical Research and Trials
Co-Director, Headache Center
Director, Center for Child Behavior and Nutrition Research and Training

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

513-803-1701

513-636-7544

Board Certified

My Biography & Research

Biography

As a pediatric psychologist, as well as a clinical child and adolescent psychologist, I practice evidence-based behavioral medicine. I treat children with migraine and other types of headache.

At Cincinnati Children’s, I am the scientific director of Clinical Research and Trials for the Research Foundation, the co-director of the Headache Center, and the director of the Center for Child Behavior and Nutrition Research and Training.

My research includes clinical trials in the areas of migraine and headache as well as child behavior and nutrition science. Migraine affects 10% of youth today. It’s one of the most common chronic illnesses of childhood and is the second most prevalent disabling condition worldwide. It affects people from childhood throughout most of their lives. My colleagues and I strive to develop the evidence-based treatments of tomorrow while building teams to provide the best care we can today. If youth have improvements in headache occurrence and related disability, then we may change the course of their lives.

Our team has published game-changing clinical trials in prestigious journals, such as the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), JAMA Pediatrics and Pediatrics.

During my career, I am honored to have received both the research and mentoring awards from the Society of Pediatric Psychology, a division of the American Psychological Association.

Clinical Interests

Preschoolers and toddlers; dietary adherence / nutrition and behavior; cystic fibrosis; chronic illness, coping and adherence; pediatric pain; pediatric headache; encopresis.

Research Interests

Clinical trials; migraine/headache; pediatric pain; adherence medicine; nutrition and behavior; cystic fibrosis

Academic Affiliation

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

Clinical Divisions

Behavioral Medicine, Headache Medicine

Research Divisions

Clinical Psychology



Blog Posts

Research Reinforces Alternatives to Medication in Migraine Care

Mind Brain Behavior

Research Reinforces Alternatives to Medication in Migraine Care

Scott W. Powers, PhD, ABPP, FAHS, Andrew D. Hershey, MD, PhD, FAHS7/27/2021

Teaming Up to Solve a Headache About Headaches

Mind Brain Behavior

Teaming Up to Solve a Headache About Headaches

Scott W. Powers, PhD, ABPP, FAHS, Robert C. Coghill, PhD ...7/3/2019

Migraines in Kids: How Can We Best Prevent Them?

BlogHealthy Living

Migraines in Kids: How Can We Best Prevent Them?

By Scott Powers, PhD10/28/2016

My Education

AB: Wabash College, Crawfordsville, IN, 1985.

MS: Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, 1987.

PhD: The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 1991.

Residency: Clinical Psychology, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, RI.

Fellowship: Pediatric Psychology, Brown University School of Medicine / Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI.

Certification: Clinical Psychology, Ohio State Board of Psychology, 1992. American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), 2003.

My Publications

Learning the full impact of migraine through patient voices: A qualitative study. Estave, PM; Beeghly, S; Anderson, R; Margol, C; Shakir, M; George, G; Berger, A; O’Connell, N; Burch, R; Haas, N; et al. Headache. 2021.

The promise of mechanistic approaches to understanding how youth with migraine get better-An Editorial to the 2020 Members' Choice Award Paper. Nahman-Averbuch, H; Hershey, AD; Peugh, JL; King, CD; Kroon Van Diest, AM; Chamberlin, LA; Kabbouche, MA; Kacperski, J; Coghill, RC; Powers, SW. Headache. 2021; 61:803-804.

Predictors of Improvement in Pediatric Chronic Migraine: Results from the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Amitriptyline Trial. Rettig, EK; Ergun, G; Warfield, JR; Slater, SK; LeCates, SL; Kabbouche, MA; Kacperski, J; Hershey, AD; Powers, SW. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings. 2021.

Virtual issue: Kids (with headache disorders) are not just little adults (with headache disorders). Orr, SL; Powers, SW. Headache. 2021; 61:563-564.

Spatial aspects of pain modulation are not disrupted in adolescents with migraine. Nahman-Averbuch, H; Thomas, PL; Schneider, VJ; Chamberlin, LA; Peugh, JL; Hershey, AD; Powers, SW; Coghill, RC; King, CD. Headache. 2021; 61:485-492.

Introduction of a smartphone based behavioral intervention for migraine in the emergency department. Minen, MT; Friedman, BW; Adhikari, S; Corner, S; Powers, SW; Seng, EK; Grudzen, C; Lipton, RB. General Hospital Psychiatry. 2021; 69:12-19.

Identification of neural and psychophysical predictors of headache reduction after cognitive behavioral therapy in adolescents with migraine. Nahman-Averbuch, H; Schneider, VJ; Chamberlin, LA; Kroon Van Diest, AM; Peugh, JL; Lee, GR; Radhakrishnan, R; Hershey, AD; Powers, SW; Coghill, RC; et al. Pain. 2021; 162:372-381.

Clinic-based characterization of continuous headache in children and adolescents: Comparing youth with chronic migraine to those with new daily persistent headache. Reidy, BL; Riddle, EJ; Powers, SW; Slater, SK; Kacperski, J; Kabbouche, MA; Hershey, AD. Cephalalgia. 2020; 40:1063-1069.

The Association Between Glycemic Variability and Macronutrients in Young Children with T1D. Monzon, AD; Smith, LB; Powers, SW; Dolan, LM; Patton, SR. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 2020; 45:749-758.

Focus group findings on the migraine patient experience during research studies and ideas for future investigations. Minen, MT; Morio, K; Schaubhut, KB; Powers, SW; Lipton, RB; Seng, E. Cephalalgia. 2020; 40:712-734.