Lynn Ramirez, MD, MS

Lynn Ramirez MD, MSc, who joined the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Health in November 2014, serves as Medical Director of Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Prevention at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco.

In this role, she collaborates with nurses, physicians, and ancillary services to prevent hospital acquired infections including those related to invasive medical devices and Clostridium difficile.

Dr. Ramirez provides patient care on the inpatient Pediatric Infectious Diseases Consultation service. She is involved in the care of immunocompromised pediatric patients.
Education
Fellowship, 6/2011 - Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital Boston
Chief Resident, 6/2008 - Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco
Residency, 6/2007 - Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco
Internship, 6/2005 - Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco
MD, 6/2004 - , Harvard Medical School
MSc, 8/2003 - Health Promotion Sciences, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
BA, 6/1999 - Biology, Harvard College

  1. Adler AL, Kociolek LK, Glomb N, Ramírez-Àvila L, Kest H, Niescierenko M, West D, Zerr DM. Strategies Used by Children's Hospitals During the 2022 Viral Respiratory Surge. Hospital pediatrics 2025. PMID: 39947234


  2. McGrath CL, Logan LK, Deloney VM, Rubin LG, Ravin KA, Muller M, Bartlett AH, de St Maurice A, Linam WM, Caughell C, Ramirez-Avila L, SHEA Pediatric Leadership Council Steering Committee. Monitoring health disparities in healthcare-associated infection surveillance: A Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Research Network (SRN) Survey. Infection control and hospital epidemiology 2023. PMID: 37700531


  3. Chu VT, Nafees S, Waltari E, McNeil N, Caughell C, Sanchez-Guerrero E, Wang L, Stanley K, Cunningham G, Wong J, Phelps M, Tato CM, Miller S, DeRisi JL, Yokoe DS, Ramirez-Avila L, Langelier CR. Whole-genome sequencing rule-out of suspected hospital-onset Rhizopus outbreaks. Volume 44 of Issue 12. Infection control and hospital epidemiology 2023. PMID: 37308466


  4. Madera S, McNeil N, Serpa PH, Kamm J, Pak C, Caughell C, Nichols A, Dynerman D, Li LM, Sanchez-Guerrero E, Phelps MS, Detweiler AM, Neff N, Reyes H, Miller SA, Yokoe DS, DeRisi JL, Ramirez-Avila L, Langelier CR. Prolonged silent carriage, genomic virulence potential and transmission between staff and patients characterize a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Infection control and hospital epidemiology 2022. PMID: 35311638


  5. Srinivasan V, Gohil SK, Abeles SR, Yokoe DS, Cohen SH, Ramirez-Avila L, Prabaker KK, de St Maurice AM. Finding a needle in a haystack: The hidden costs of asymptomatic testing in a low incidence setting. Infection control and hospital epidemiology 2021. PMID: 34162461


  6. Muller ML, Logan LK, Kociolek LK, Guzman-Cottrill JA, Bartlett AH, Schaffzin JK, Ravin KA, Rubin LG, Lake J, Caughell C, Ramirez-Avila L, SHEA Pediatric Leadership Council. SHEA Pediatric Leadership Council commentary: Personal protective equipment during care of children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Infection control and hospital epidemiology 2021. PMID: 34121639


  7. Schaffzin JK, Bartlett AH, Logan LK, Guzman-Cottrill JA, Caughell C, Ravin KA, Rubin LG, Kociolek LK, Muller ML, Lake J, Ramirez-Avila L, SHEA Pediatric Leadership Council. SHEA Pediatric Leadership Council commentary: Supporting well child care during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with personal protective equipment in the ambulatory setting. Infection control and hospital epidemiology 2021. PMID: 34121636


  8. Bartlett AH, Ravin KA, Rubin LG, McGrath C, de St Maurice A, Linam WM, Logan LK, Muller M, Caughell C, Ramirez-Avila L, SHEA Pediatric Leadership Council. SHEA Pediatric Leadership Council commentary: Inpatient visitor considerations for pediatric patients during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Infection control and hospital epidemiology 2021. PMID: 34112274


  9. Rubin LG, Kociolek LK, Schaffzin JK, Logan LK, Guzman-Cottrill JA, Lake J, Caughell C, Bartlett AH, Ravin KA, Muller M, Ramirez-Avila L, SHEA Pediatric Leadership Council. SHEA Pediatric Leadership Council commentary: Ambulatory management of neonates born to mothers infected with severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Infection control and hospital epidemiology 2021. PMID: 34085629


  10. Sola AM, David AP, Rosbe KW, Baba A, Ramirez-Avila L, Chan DK. Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children Without Symptoms of Coronavirus Disease 2019. JAMA pediatrics 2021. PMID: 32840605


  11. Woodworth MH, Dynerman D, Crawford ED, Doernberg SB, Ramirez-Avila L, Serpa PH, Nichols A, Li LM, Lyden A, Tato CM, Miller S, Derisi JL, Langelier C. Sentinel Case of Candida auris in the Western United States Following Prolonged Occult Colonization in a Returned Traveler from India. Microbial drug resistance (Larchmont, N.Y.) 2019. PMID: 31163013


  12. Horth RZ, Jones JM, Kim JJ, Lopansri BK, Ilstrup SJ, Fridey J, Kelley WE, Stramer SL, Nambiar A, Ramirez-Avila L, Nichols A, Garcia W, Oakeson KF, Vlachos N, McAllister G, Hunter R, Nakashima AK, Basavaraju SV. Fatal Sepsis Associated with Bacterial Contamination of Platelets - Utah and California, August 2017. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report 2018. PMID: 29953428


  13. Ramirez-Avila L, Regan S, Cloete C, Crankshaw T, Rabideau DJ, Freedberg KA, Parker RA, Walensky RP, Losina E, Bassett IV. Adolescent Linkage to Care After a Large-scale Transfer From a Hospital-based HIV Clinic to the Public Sector in South Africa. The Pediatric infectious disease journal 2017. PMID: 28192387


  14. Wattier RL, Ramirez-Avila L. Pediatric Invasive Aspergillosis. 2016. PMID: 29376936


  15. Wattier RL, Ramirez-Avila L.. Journal of Fungi Pediatric invasive aspergillosis 2016. PMID:


  16. Ramirez-Avila L, Regan S, Chetty S, Giddy J, Ross D, Katz JN, Freedberg KA, Losina E, Walensky RP, Bassett IV. HIV testing rates, prevalence, and knowledge among outpatients in Durban, South Africa: Time trends over four years. International journal of STD & AIDS 2014. PMID: 25228664


  17. Sklansky M, Nadkarni N, Ramirez-Avila L. Banning the handshake from the health care setting. JAMA 2014. PMID: 24833502


  18. Schwenk H, Ramirez-Avila L, Sheu SH, Wuthrich C, Waugh J, Was A, Degirolami U, Burchett S, Koralnik IJ, Ahmed A. Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in pediatric patients: case report and literature review. The Pediatric infectious disease journal 2014. PMID: 24632669


  19. Logsdon S, Ramirez-Avila L, Castells M, Dioun A. Successful rifampin desensitization in a pediatric patient with latent tuberculosis. Pediatric allergy and immunology : official publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology 2014. PMID: 24417546


  20. Ciaranello AL, Morris BL, Walensky RP, Weinstein MC, Ayaya S, Doherty K, Leroy V, Hou T, Desmonde S, Lu Z, Noubary F, Patel K, Ramirez-Avila L, Losina E, Seage GR, Freedberg KA. Validation and calibration of a computer simulation model of pediatric HIV infection. PloS one 2013. PMID: 24349503


  21. Ramirez-Avila L, Noubary F, Pansegrouw D, Sithole S, Giddy J, Losina E, Walensky RP, Bassett IV. The acceptability and feasibility of routine pediatric HIV testing in an outpatient clinic in Durban, South Africa. The Pediatric infectious disease journal 2013. PMID: 23694834


  22. Ramirez-Avila L, Regan S, Giddy J, Chetty S, Ross D, Katz JN, Freedberg KA, Walensky RP, Losina E, Bassett IV. Depressive symptoms and their impact on health-seeking behaviors in newly-diagnosed HIV-infected patients in Durban, South Africa. AIDS and behavior 2012. PMID: 22451351


  23. Ramirez-Avila L, Nixon K, Noubary F, Giddy J, Losina E, Walensky RP, Bassett IV. Routine HIV testing in adolescents and young adults presenting to an outpatient clinic in Durban, South Africa. PloS one 2012. PMID: 23029060


  24. Ciaranello AL, Park JE, Ramirez-Avila L, Freedberg KA, Walensky RP, Leroy V. Early infant HIV-1 diagnosis programs in resource-limited settings: opportunities for improved outcomes and more cost-effective interventions. BMC medicine 2011. PMID: 21599888


  25. Ramirez-Avila L, Slome S, Schuster FL, Gavali S, Schantz PM, Sejvar J, Glaser CA. Eosinophilic meningitis due to Angiostrongylus and Gnathostoma species. Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2009. PMID: 19123863


  26. Schuster FL, Ramirez-Avila L. Current world status of Balantidium coli. Clinical microbiology reviews 2008. PMID: 18854484