Dr. Negar Ashouri, Pediatric Infectious Disease

Dr. Negar Ashouri is a distinguished leader in Pediatric Infectious Diseases, serving as an attending physician at CHOC, an Assistant Clinical Professor at the UC Irvine School of Medicine, and the Director of Antimicrobial Stewardship at CHOC. Since 2016, she has spearheaded efforts to optimize medication use through the Antimicrobial Stewardship program, a role vital in ensuring pediatric patients receive precise treatments while combatting the global threat of antibiotic resistance. Her administrative expertise is further reflected in her extensive leadership roles, including serving as Chair of the Medical Staff as well as Chair of both the Infection Prevention for CHOC at Mission, and Quality Care Committee at CHOC. These positions highlight her deep commitment to hospital safety, patient outcomes, and high-level clinical governance.

In addition to her administrative leadership, Dr. Ashouri is a prolific researcher and educator dedicated to advancing pediatric medicine. Her research focuses on complex conditions, including the natural history of neonatal viral sepsis and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes for children with congenital Cytomegalovirus. She is also a recognized expert in Kawasaki Disease, contributing to multiple studies on cardiac outcomes and treatment guidelines for high-risk patients. A steadfast advocate for medical education, Dr. Ashouri frequently shares her expertise through regional lectures and grand rounds on topics ranging from neonatal rashes to congenital syphilis. We are proud to have her dedicated pursuit of excellence serving the children and families at CHOC.

Locations

CHOC Specialists, Infectious Diseases
1201 W. La Veta Ave.
Orange, CA 92868
phone: 714-509-8403
fax: 714-509-4014

CHOC Health Center – Mission Viejo
26691 Plaza, Suite 130
Mission Viejo, CA 92691

Education

• Medical School
  St George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada, West Indies
• Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellowship
  Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, CA
• Pediatrics Residency
  CHOC Hospital, Orange, CA

Academic Appointments

• HS Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics
  University of California, Irvine School of Medicine

Administrative Appointments

• Medical Director of Antimicrobial Stewardship, CHOC
• Infectious Diseases CHOC Specialists

Professional Organizations/Editorial Boards

• American Academy of Pediatrics
• Pediatric Infectious Disease Society
• PIDS Pediatric Committee on Antimicrobial Stewardship

Honors and Awards

• OCMA Physician of Excellence Award, multiple years

Recent Research Presentations

Lee A. Tran T, Liu C, Capparelli E, Phal S, Enriquez C, Osborne S, Strickland J, Cohen-Wolkowiez M, Hornik C.D., Ashouri N. Nieves D, Shaw A, Singh J, Arrieta A.  Population pharmacokinetics and safety of continuous oxacillin in preterm and term neoanates and infants. Oral presentation at the 43rd  Annual meeting of European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases (ESPID). May 26-30, 2025. Bucharest, Romania

Ashouri N, Singh J, Nieves D, Gornick W, Arrieta A. Kawasaki Disease versus respiratory viral activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Poster presentation at the 14th International Kawasaki Disease Symposium (IKDS). August 26-29, 2024. Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Nieves DJ, Tran T, Lusk J, Singh J, Ashouri N, Adler-Shohet F, Marano R, Osborne S, Strickland J, Arrieta A. Safety and tolerability of Remdesivir for severe infection and prevention of progression of disease in pediatric patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Oral  presentation to the 2024 Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) meeting. May 2-6, 2024, Toronto, Canada

Arrieta AC, Osborne S, Nieves DJ, Zahn M, Lee A, Shearer E, Ashouri N. “Community Acquired Serious Bacterial Infections in Pediatric Patients Before and After COVID: Could masks save lives?” Poster presentation ID Week, Boston, MA; October 14 2023]

Tran, T, Arrieta A, Ashouri N, , Frediani J, Lam F,  Lin C  “Pharmacogenomics in Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) to Characterize Vincristine and Triazoles Metabolism”  Scientific Platform Presentation at the 32nd Annual Pediatric Pharmacy Association meeting. Dallas, Texas May 3-7, 2023.

Arrieta A, Singh J, Ashouri N, Nieves, D.  Serial Microbial Cell-Free DNA Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) As A Means of Diagnosis and Monitoring of Clinical Response To Treatment Of Invasive Fungal Infections (IFI) In Immunocompromised Pediatric Patients. Poster presentation at ID Week 2022. Washington DC October 19-23, 2022.

Pare J, Tran T, Tu K, Tirakitsoontorn P, Ashouri N. Tobramycin pharmacodynamic optimization and impact on exposure and nephrotoxicity in children and young adult with Cystic Fibrosis. Poster presentation at the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference (NACFC). November 3-5, 2022. Philadelphia, PA

Daniels K, Arrieta A, Ashouri N, Nieves D, Kushal B, Tran T, Osborne S, Morphew T, Singh J. Ampicillin and Gentamicin Treatment for Early-Onset Neonatal Sepsis: When One Size does not Fit All. Poster presentation at the  32nd   European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID). Lisbon, Portugal April 23-26, 2022

Tuan T, Singh J, Gornick W, Huff B, Ashouri N. Clostridioides difficile Infection (CDI) Treatment Outcomes and Recurrence Factor at a Pediatric Hospital. Poster presentation at the SHEA Spring Conference.. Colorado Springs, CO.  April 12-14, 2022

Emmanuel Roilides, E,  Ashouri N,  Bradley JS, Johnson MG, Lonchar J,  Su F-H, Huntington JA,  Popejoy MW, Bensaci M,  De Anda C,  Rhee EG,  Bruno CJ.  Safety and Efficacy of Ceftolozane/Tazobactam Versus Meropenem in Neonatal and Pediatric Participants With Complicated Urinary Tract Infection, Including Pyelonephritis: A Phase 2, Randomized, Clinical Trial.  E-poster virtual presentation at ID Week 2021.October 19-23, 2021

Publications

Peer Reviewed

Nieves DJ, Tran T, Singh S, Ashouri N, Morphew T, Lusk J, Adler-Shohet F, Marano R, Osborne S, Strickland J, Arrieta A. Remdesivir use in pediatric patients with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection is safe and well tolerated. Children 2025, 12(3), 331;doi.org/10.3390/children1203331. 6 March 2025

Arrieta A, Galvis A, Osborne S, Morphew T, Imfeld K, Enriquez C, Hoang J, Swearingen M, Nieves DJ, Ashouri N, Singh J, Nugent D. “Use of COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma for Treatment of Symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection at a Children’s Hospital: A Contribution to a Still Inadequate Body of Evidence.” Children Feb 2023, 10(2),350 https:doi.org/10.3390/children10020350

Roilides E, Ashouri N, Bradley J, Johnson M, Lonchar J, Su Feng-Hsiu, Huntington J, Popejoy M, Bensaci M, De Anda C, Rhee E, Bruno C. Safety and Efficacy of Ceftolozane/Tazobactam Versus Meropenem in Neonates and Children With Complicated Urinary Tract Infection, Including Pyelonephritis: A Phase 2, Randomized Clinical Trial. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2023 Apr 1;42(4):292-298. Doi:10.1097/INF.0000000000003832

Lam Y, Shimizu C, Tremoulet A, Bainto E, Roberts S, Sivilay N, Gardiner M, Kanegaye J, Hogan A, Salazar J, Ashouri N as part of the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Kawasaki Disease Research Group; CHARMS Study group, et al. A machine-leaning algorithm for diagnosis of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and Kawasaki disease in the USA: a retrospective model development and validation study. Lancet Digit Health. 2022 Oct;4(10):e717-e726.doi:10.1016/S2589-7500(22)00149-2

Burney JA, Roberts SC, DeHaan LL, Shimizu C, Bainto EV, Newburger JW, Dominguez S, Jone PN, Jaggi P, Szmuszkovicz JR, Rowley AH, Samuy N, Scalici P, Tremoulet AH, Cayan DR, Burns JC, Ashouri N as part of  KIDCARE Study Investigators. Epidemiological and Clinical Features of Kawasaki Disease During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Jun 1;5(6):e2217436

Burns JC, Roberts Sc, Tremoulet AH, He F, Printz BF, Ashouri N, Jain SS, Michalik DE, Sharma K et al. Infliximab versus second intravenous immunoglobulin for treatment of resistant Kawasaki disease in the USA (KIDCARE): a randomised, multicentre comparative effectiveness trial. Lancent Child Adolesc Health. 2021 Dec;5(12):852-861.

Arrieta A, Galvis AE, Morphew T, Ehwerhemuepha L, Osborne S, Enriquez C, Imfeld K, Hoang J, Nieves D, Ashouri N, Singh J, Nugent D. Safety and Antibody Kinetics of COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Cases of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Pediatric Patients. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2021 Jul 1;40(7):606-611. doi: 10.1097/INF.0000000000003166.Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2021. PMID: 33967228

Singh J, O’Donnell K, Nieves D, Adler-Shohet F, Arrieta A, Ashouri N, Ahuja G, Cheung M, Holmes N, Huoh K,  Tran Lisa, et al. Invasive Mycobacterium abscessus Outbreak at a Pediatric Dental Clinic. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Apr 15;8(6):ofab165. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab165. eCollection 2021 Jun.

Quraishi R, Ashouri N, Beuttler R, Tran MT.Vancomycin exposure and utilization following implementation of an AUC-guided monitoring guideline in children. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020 Oct; 7(Suppl 1): S674. Published online 2020 Dec 31. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa439.1510

Domico M, McCanta AC, Hunt JL, Ashouri N, Nugent D, Kelly RB. High-Grade Heart Block Requiring Transvenous Pacing Associated with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic. HeartRhythm Case Rep. 2020 Aug 25. doi: 10.1016/j.hrcr.2020.08.015. Online ahead of print.

Book Chapters

Ashouri N, Checchia PA, Arrieta AC. Kawasaki Disease. Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Second Edition 2008. pp 397-402