Smita AwasthiI aim to provide the best care to my patients and their families, in a safe and compassionate environment. Having grown up in central California and completed a large part of my medical training at UC Davis, I am committed to advancing care and improving the health and well-being of our diverse community through patient care, research, and education.

Dr. Awasthi attended medical school at University of California, Davis. She then completed residencies in both pediatrics (NYU Langone Medical Center) and dermatology (UC Davis), followed by a fellowship in pediatric dermatology at University of California, San Diego and Rady Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Awasthi is triple board certified (Dermatology, Pediatrics, and Pediatric Dermatology) and is the Director of Pediatric Dermatology at UC Davis. Although she has a wide range of clinical experience in the diagnosis and management of skin disorders, her particular areas of interest include atopic dermatitis (eczema), acne, vascular birthmarks, and genetic disorders (including ichthyosis and blistering disorders).  

Dr. Awasthi’s current research areas include atopic dermatitis, neonatal skin disease, and the microbiome of the skin. She is an active member of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology and the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PedRA) and has published in several journals.

Title: 
Health Sciences Clinical Professor
Department of Dermatology and Pediatrics

Undergraduate Education: Harvey Mudd College, BS, Chemistry

Medical Education: University of California, Davis School of Medicine, MD

Internship: New York University Medical Center, Pediatrics

Residency:
New York University Medical Center, Pediatrics, Resident
University of California, Davis Medical Center, Dermatology, Resident

Relevant Publications

Nakra NA, Awasthi S, Lakshminrusimha S, Kalra V. Visual Diagnosis: An Extremely Preterm Neonate with Gray Plaques on the Back. Neoreviews. 2019 May;20(5): e302-e305.

Notay M, Fazel N, Awasthi S. Cushing syndrome induced by topical corticosteroids for the treatment of lichen sclerosus. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2019 Feb;32(1):83-85.

Awasthi S, Prindaville B. Patient Perspectives: What is a pyogenic granuloma? Pediatr Dermatol. 2018 Mar;35(2):237-238. PMID: 29575073

Foolad N, Ornelas JN, Clark A, Ali I, Sharon VR, Al Mubarak L, Lopez A, Alikhan A, Al-Dabagh B, Firooz A, Awasthi S, Liu Y, Li C, Sivamani R. International inter-rater agreement in scoring acne severity utilizing cloud-based image sharing of mobile phone photographs. Int J Dermatol. 2017 Sep;56(9):920-925.

Awasthi S, Wilken R, Patel F, German JB, Mills DA, Lebrilla CB, Kim K, Freeman SL, Smilowitz JT, Armstrong AW, Maverakis E. Dietary Supplementation with Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis (B. Infantis) in healthy breastfed infants: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials. 2016 Jul;17(1):340.

Ornelas JN, Sivamani R, Awasthi S. A report of two patients with Darier Disease and Hidradentitis Suppurativa. Pediatr Dermatol2016 Jul; 33(4)e265-6.

Iyengar S, Awasthi S, Fazel N, Okman J, Kamangar F, Sharon VR. Arcal bullae in an infant. Arch Dis Child. 2016 Jul; 101(7):603.

Awasthi S, Rothe MJ, Eichenfield LF. Atopic Dermatitis: Kids are not just little people. Clin Dermatol.  2015 Nov-Dec; 33(6): 594-604.

Zhuang A, Awasthi S, Naheedy J, Krakowski A. Intraoperative ultrasound to accurately gauge scar thickness and identify altered intrascar anatomy during multimodal revision of a hypertrophic chest wall burn scar. Dermatol Surg. 2015 Dec; 41(12): 1444-7.  

Feldstein S, Awasthi S, Krakowski AC. Drug-induced Telogen Effluvium in a Pediatric Patient due to Error of Transcription.  J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2015 Aug; 8(8):52-4

Awasthi S, Eichenfield LF.  (Commentary) High-Dose Isotretinoin Treatment and the Rate of Retrial, Relapse, and Adverse Effects in Patients with Acne Vulgaris.  In: Year Book of Pediatrics 2015.  (Cabana MD, ed.) Elsevier, Inc. Jan/Feb 2015.