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Nipunie S. Rajapakse, M.D., M.P.H.

Nipunie Rajapakse, M.D., is a pediatric infectious diseases physician. Her clinical focus includes:

  • Management of pediatric infections including:
    • Post-surgical, hospital-acquired, or device-related infections (e.g. orthopedic hardware infections, central line infections, VP shunt infections)

    • Community-acquired infections (e.g. pneumonia, skin infections, osteomyelitis)

    • Infections in immunocompromised children (e.g. those receiving chemotherapy, post-solid organ and bone marrow transplant, primary immunodeficiencies)

    • Tropical or travel-related infections

  • Expertise in the management of pediatric infections caused by resistant organisms (e.g. MRSA, multi-drug resistant gram negative bacteria etc).

In addition to her clinical activities, Dr. Rajapakse is active in research and education. Her primary research interests include studying ways of optimizing antibiotic use in children (antimicrobial stewardship) to decrease antibiotic resistance and other harmful effects, and identifying the best strategies to educate medical providers and the general public about appropriate antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance. She has worked for the World Health Organization and has an interest in global health and outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases.

Dr. Rajapakse is a frequent contributor to the Mayo Clinic News Network (see News link above). She is the Vice Chair of the Mayo Clinic Rochester Antimicrobial Stewardship Program and Medical Director of the Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Program.

  • Antimicrobial stewardship
  • Antimicrobial resistance
  • Tropical and travel medicine
  • Global health
  • Outbreaks of novel or emerging infectious diseases
  1. 2016
    MPH - Global HealthHarvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
  2. 2015
    Advanced Fellowship - Advanced Fellowship in Pediatric Antimicrobial StewardshipUniversity of Calgary
  3. 2014
    SubSpec Fellow - Subspecialty Resident, Pediatric Infectious DiseasesUniversity of Calgary
  4. 2014
    Diploma - The Gorgas Course in Clinical Tropical Medicine - Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTMH)The Gorgas Course
  5. 2012
    Resident - PediatricsUniversity of British Columbia
  6. 2009
    Doctor of Medicine - Doctor of MedicineUniversity of Alberta
  7. 2005
    BSc (Hons) - Bachelor of ScienceUniversity of Alberta

Certifications

  1. 2014
    Infectious DiseaseRoyal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada
  2. 2013
    Pediatrics (Archived)Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada

Awards and honors

  1. 2024
    Awarded "Above and Beyond" award for ExcellenceMayo Clinic
  2. 2022
    Excellence through Teamwork Award (Enterprise Antimicrobial Stewardship Outpatient subcommittee)Excellence Through Teamwork Award
  3. 2021
    Silver and merit awards awarded for antimicrobial stewardship patient education resources developed by Education subcommittee National Health Information Awards
  4. 2020
    Nominated for Clinician of the Year and Quality Improvement Leader awardsDepartment of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine
  5. 2019
    Nominated for Pediatric Clinician of the Year AwardDepartment of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine
  6. 2018
    Favorite Faculty AwardMayo Clinic Rochester
  7. 2018
    Mayo Quality Review Board/Mayo School of Continuous Professional Development Award for QI Project Antibiotic Stewardship in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Reducing the Unnecessary Empiric Use of Broad-Spectrum AntibioticsMayo Clinic Quality Review Board, Quality of Care Subcommittee, Mayo Clinic Clinical Practice Committee
  8. 2018
    Lecturer of the QuarterMayo Clinic - General Pediatrics
  9. 2017
    Lecturer of the Month (November)Mayo Clinic - General Pediatrics
  10. 2016
    Top 3 Master of Public Health Practicum ProjectsHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
  11. 2014
    Associate Dean's Letter of ExcellenceUniversity of Calgary
  12. 2014
    Distinguished Service Award (Bronze)University of Calgary
  13. 2013
    "Health Through the Lens" Global Health Photography Competition WinnerThe Lancet

Professional memberships

  1. 2023 - 2026
    Committee MemberPIDS Programs & Meetings Committee
  2. 2022 - present
    Medical ExpertMayo Clinic Press Children's Advisory Board
  3. 2021 - present
    Fellowship Training Program Recruitment Committee MemberDivision of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine
  4. 2021 - present
    MemberVisibility Committee, Mayo Clinic Children's Center
  5. 2020 - present
    AdvisorPediatrics Residency Program
  6. 2019 - present
    Merit Review PanelPatient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
  7. 2019 - 2020
    MemberDiversity, Inclusion, and Wellness Committee - Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
  8. 2019 - present
    MemberEuropean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  9. 2018 - present
    Vice ChairMayo Clinic Rochester Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee
  10. 2018 - present
    ConsultantHollywood, Health & Society, University of Southern California Annenberg Norman Lear Center
  11. 2018 - 2021
    MemberPediatrics Residency Recruitment Committee
  12. 2018 - present
    ConsultantMinnesota Department of Health - One Health Antibiotic Stewardship Collaborative
  13. 2018 - present
    State Fair Planning Committee MemberMinnesota Department of Health - One Health Antibiotic Stewardship Collaborative
  14. 2017 - present
    MemberImproving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes (IPSO) Infectious Diseases Workgroup (Children's Hospital Association)
  15. 2017 - present
    Medical Expert ContributorMayo Clinic News Center
  16. 2017 - present
    MemberInfectious Diseases Task Force of the Mayo Pharmaceutical Formulary Committee
  17. 2016 - 2017
    MemberSociety for Healthcare Epidemiology of America
  18. 2016 - present
    MemberEnterprise Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Committee
  19. 2016 - present
    MemberRochester Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee
  20. 2016 - present
    Medical DirectorPediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee
  21. 2016 - present
    MemberMinnesota Medical Association
  22. 2016 - present
    MemberEmerging Diseases Clinical Assessment and Response Network (World Health Organization)
  23. 2016 - present
    MemberPediatric Infectious Diseases Society
  24. 2014 - 2015
    MemberAmerican Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
  25. 2013 - present
    FellowRoyal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
  26. 2012 - present
    MemberInfectious Diseases Society of America
  27. 2012 - 2015
    MemberAssociation of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
  28. 2009 - present
    MemberAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
  29. 2009 - 2015
    MemberCanadian Pediatric Society

Publications