We are saddened to share that Dr. C. Ronald Scott, professor emeritus in the UW Department of Pediatrics, passed away peacefully on September 22. Dr. Scott was a distinguished investigator, master clinician, and outstanding educator who made multiple remarkable accomplishments and was internationally recognized as a pioneer in the development of biochemical tests for inherited metabolic disorders.
Dr. Scott graduated in 1959 from the University of Washington School of Medicine, completed his internship and residency at the University of Minnesota, completed a fellowship at Caltech, and returned to UW as faculty. He joined the Department of Pediatrics in 1965 on the physician scientist track, served as head of the Division of Genetic Medicine from 1976 to 1998, and retired in 2023 after nearly 60 years of service. He built and led the biochemical genetics service and phenylketonuria (PKU) program at UW and Seattle Children’s, following patients with biochemical disorders from infancy into adulthood and helping establish the dietary management, monitoring, and counseling that allowed his patients to grow up healthy. He was also an adjunct professor of medicine at UW and served as co-director of the Genetics program at the UW Institute on Human Development and Disability (IHDD), where metabolic care was integrated with developmental and family support services.
Dr. Scott’s most far-reaching scientific contribution came late in a career when many would have retired. With UW chemists Michael Gelb and František Tureček, he helped develop tandem mass spectrometry assays that measure lysosomal enzyme activities directly in dried blood spots. This turned a laboratory method into practical population screening tool. His work helped lay the foundation for the addition of lysosomal disorders to state newborn screening panels across the United States and internationally.
Dr. Scott also founded the Biochemical Genetics Laboratory and the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory at Seattle Children’s, where he served as director for over 20 years. He was a frequent consultant in the UW NICU on genetic disease and served as a member of the DNA Advisory Committee for the state of Washington legislature and as an advisor to the Newborn Screening Program for the Washington State Department of Health. In 2006, he received a Special Citation from the FDA Commissioner for his work to develop a treatment for Tyrosinemia Type I, a genetic disorder that disrupts the metabolism of tyrosine and can cause damage to the liver, kidneys, and nerves.
In 2008, in recognition of more than 40 years of service to UW, Seattle Children’s, and families affected by metabolic disease, the University of Washington established the C. Ronald Scott Lecture Series in Biochemical Genetics, supported by the Yuhan Foundation of Seoul, Korea; the inaugural lecture was delivered by Dr. William Gahl of the National Human Genome Research Institute.
At his retirement celebration, Dr. Scott was thanked countless times for saving children’s lives. "Thanks in large part to your inspiration … I hope to continue down this path and one day work in pediatrics,” one of his patients shared. “Your kindness, compassion, and dedication have made you an outstanding doctor, and I feel honored to have been one of your patients."
“One of Dr. Scott’s many, many strengths was his unwavering commitment to his staff, his patients, and their families. He had the ability to truly appreciate how patients and families may be feeling, especially during difficult times. He believed in educating patients about their conditions to give them the confidence to succeed and live full lives, and his patients and their families always knew they were an integral part of the care team. Dr. Scott was a compassionate provider, a remarkable educator, and a dedicated researcher who made a lasting impact on many lives. We miss him dearly.” – Vicki Frasher, Patient Care Coordinator, PKU/Biochemical Genetics Clinic
“Dr. Scott’s vision, knowledge, kindness, and compassion were second to none. He was an incredible scientist, clinician, educator, mentor, and friend. We were so lucky to be part of his team, and we will miss him.” – Beth Ogata, MS, RD, CSP, Lecturer/Nutritionist, Department of Pediatrics
"When I came to work for Ron in 1999, he was about to turn 65, a time when many might start to step back from some of their professional activities. Dr. Scott continued to go out in the wee hours of the night to save newborn babies at Children’s; even in the early 2000’s, many inborn errors of metabolism still had no diagnostic tests. No one ever counted how many babies he saved, for him it was a calling." - Renée Barton, Post-Award Grants Manager, UW School of Nursing
The family is planning a private graveside memorial. Condolences and remembrances can be shared on Dr. Scott’s obituary.