Ashlesha Kaushik, MD, MS

Ashlesha Kaushik, MD, MS is a pediatric infectious disease specialist and serves as medical director of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s.

Dr. Kaushik was elected president of the Iowa Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), marking several historic milestones. She is the first pediatric specialist from Iowa, first physician from the Siouxland region, first woman specialist physician and first infectious diseases physician to serve as president of the Iowa AAP. She is also the youngest physician to hold the position.

In addition to her role as president, Dr. Kaushik serves as chair of the Iowa AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases and has served in numerous leadership roles with the organization. She is also a national spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics.

In July 2026, Dr. Kaushik was honored with the first ever AAP National Outstanding Chapter Award for Iowa at the AAP Leadership Conference. She previously received the AAP Special Achievement Award for her leadership and contributions to infectious diseases and is the only pediatric specialist in Iowa to receive the award twice, for the 2023–2024 and 2025–2026 award cycles. She has also been named the AAP Quality Improvement Champion for Iowa.

Dr. Kaushik holds an academic appointment as a clinical associate professor in the Stead Family Department of Pediatrics at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and serves as a resident preceptor for the Siouxland Medical Education Foundation Residency Program.

Her other honors include the 2019 CDC Childhood Immunization Champion Award for Iowa, National Immunization Emerging Leader Award, AAP Excellence in Education Award and recognition for her leadership in pediatric infectious diseases, immunization, antimicrobial stewardship and quality improvement.

Dr. Kaushik is Harvard alumna, has published extensively and has collaborated with Harvard Medical School on antimicrobial stewardship and quality improvement research. Her research has been presented at national infectious diseases conferences and published in peer-reviewed medical journals. She has also served as CDC Project Firstline Ambassador for Iowa, visiting faculty at Harvard Medical School and has been invited to serve as faculty for Harvard Medical School’s Master of Science program.

She is an elected overseas fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine in the United Kingdom and has been recognized as an advancing pediatric leader by the Harvard Medical School Pediatrics Leadership Program and as a global health expert by the Sabin Vaccine Institute’s Immunization Advocates program.

Dr. Kaushik has shared her expertise with the community through the following news stories:

• CNN - HEALTH MINUTE: STREP CASES HIGH, ANTIBIOTICS SUPPLY LOW
• UnityPoint Health - Dr. Kaushik, UnityPoint Clinic Pediatric Infectious Disease - Sgt. Bluff, Named the 2019 CDC Immunization Champion for Iowa
• Romper.com - The World Health Organization Plans to Defeat Meningitis by 2030: What Parents Should Know
• Iowa Capital Dispatch - Iowa movement opposing vaccine mandates grew during pandemic
• WeAreIowa.com - Doctors urge parents to vaccinate 5-11 year-olds when possible
• WeAreIowa.com - Pediatrician answers frequently asked questions about getting young kids vaccinated
• Discover Magazine - Children and COVID-19: How Should We Consider the Risks?
• Des Moines Register - As Gov. Kim Reynolds shares uncertainty on masks, Iowa health experts say their benefit is clear
• AARP.org - 4 Reasons to Tell Your Kids, Grandkids to Get a COVID Vaccine
• CNN Health - CDC issues health advisory about acute hepatitis in children
• MED Magazine - UnityPoint Clinic Physician Dr. Ashlesha Kaushik Selected as CDC Project Firstline/American Academy of Pediatrics Infection Prevention and Control Ambassador for Iowa
• Sioux City Journal - UnityPoint physician selected as Iowa ambassador for CDC group
• CreakyJoints.org - Kids Unmasked at School: What That Means for Immunocompromised Parents and Relatives
• Montana Free Press - To require, or not to require
• Nature.com - Why schools probably aren't COVID hotspots
• MED Magazine - Siouxland's Infectious Disease Crusader Ashlesha Kaushik, MD
• VeryWellHealth.com - How Doctors and Parents Are Safely Celebrating Halloween During the Pandemic
• WeAreIowa.com - Report: Coronavirus cases among US children surpass 500,000
• AFP - Aluminum levels in vaccines for infants are safe
• Fatherly.com - American Academy of Pediatrics Coronavirus Guidelines, Explained
• Fatherly.com - Coronavirus and Kids: Doctors Answer Parents' COVID-19 Questions
• KXAN - Should parents skip well-child checkups and shots during COVID-19?
• LifeHacker.com - What We Know About Serious COVID-19 Symptoms in Kids
• Care.com - COVID-19 has more parents putting off their kids' vaccinations and experts are concerned
• CreakyJoints.org - How to Stay Safe When Your Kids (or Grandkids) Are Going Back to School and You're at High Risk for COVID-19
• CreakyJoints.org - Is It Safe to Carpool with Other People's Kids If You're at High Risk for COVID-19?
• CreakyJoints.org - Is It Safe to Have Indoor Playdates for Your Kids If You're at High Risk for COVID-19?
• Sioux City Journal - Siouxland physician: Don't take flu lightly amid uptick in activity
• KCAU - Siouxland doctor appointed as Clinical Assistant Professor for UI
• KMEG - Do home remedies work to fight the flu?
• Sioux City Journal - Sergeant Bluff physician, Iowa's Childhood Immunization Champion, makes the case for vaccines
• AAP Voices Blog - Vaccine Preventable Diseases: Let's Not Invite Them Back
• KMEG - RSV hitting peak season in Siouxland
• KCAU - Sgt. Bluff pediatrician honored as 'Immunization Champion'
• Sioux City Journal - Kaushik appointed national spokesperson for American Academy of Pediatrics
• KMEG - Sergeant Bluff doctor named Iowa's Childhood Immunization Champion of 2019
• Business Record - CDC names Kaushik as Iowa's Childhood Immunization Champion
• UnityPoint Health - Dr. Kaushik, 2019 CDC Childhood Immunization Champion, shares what this honor means to the community.
• UnityPoint Health - Emma's Story
• MED Magazine - UnityPoint Clinic Welcomes new pediatric infectious disease doctor
• MED Magazine - UnityPoint Clinic Physician Dr. Ashlesha Kaushik Selected as CDC Project Firstline/American Academy of Pediatrics Infection Prevention and Control Ambassador for Iowa
• MED Magazine - Kaushik appointed to the American Academy of Pediatrics
• MED Magazine - Siouxland's Infectious Disease Crusader Ashlesha Kaushik, MD
• MED Magazine - Kaushik Selected as national faculty for CDC Project Firstline/AAP IPC ECHO
• MED Magazine - Kaushik Appointed as National Spokesperson for American Academy of Pediatrics
• MED Magazine - Kaushik Appointed as Clinical Adjunct Instructor
• MED Magazine - Kaushik appointed as clinical assistant professor
• MED Magazine - Sioux City Physician Dr. Ashlesha Kaushik Appointed To Represent Iowa On Center For Disease Control’s National Vaccine Access Cooperative
• MED Magazine - Sioux City Physician Dr. Ashlesha Kaushik Receives Special Achievement Award
• MED Magazine - Iowa American Academy of Pediatrics Appoints Dr. Ashlesha Kaushik as Vice President
• Pub Med - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Ashlesha%20Kaushik