Ashleigh Watson
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Ashleigh Watson, MD

Languages spoken: English

Clinical Locations

Primary Location

University of Utah Hospital

Pediatric Gastroenterology
50 N Medical Dr
Salt Lake City , UT 84132
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Primary Children's Hospital - Lehi

Pediatric Gastroenterology
2250 N Miller Campus Dr
Lehi , UT 84043
801-213-3599
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Primary Children's Hospital

Pediatric Gastroenterology
100 N Mario Capecchi Drive
Salt Lake City , UT 84113
801-662-1000
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Dr. Watson received her medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin, graduating Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) with a focus on Urban and Community Health and receiving The Morris and Lee Zuckerman Clinical Proficiency Award. She completed pediatric residency at Children’s Wisconsin in Milwaukee where she co-founded the Pediatric Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. She then completed pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition fellowship with a niche focus on inflammatory bowel disease at Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine.

Her clinical interests include caring for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and IBD-unclassified), specifically very early-onset inflammatory bowel disease (diagnosed <6 years of age). She values the importance of providing comprehensive care and understanding all medical, environmental, and social factors that may impact her patients’ health. Her research primarily involves the epidemiology, natural history, and genetic basis of inflammatory bowel disease. She also studies how social determinants of health impact presentation and treatment of various gastrointestinal conditions, in order to ultimately combat such factors and improve the health and quality of life of patients.

Dr. Watson is currently an assistant professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition. She sees patients with a wide array of gastrointestinal issues and performs endoscopy at Primary Children’s Hospital and at Primary Children’s Hospital - Lehi. She serves as a gastroenterologist in the multidisciplinary Complex Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program, and she plans to develop a multidisciplinary clinic for patients with very early-onset inflammatory bowel disease.

Specialties

Board Certification

American Board of Pediatrics (Pediatrics)

Dr. Watson received her medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin, graduating Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) with a focus on Urban and Community Health and receiving The Morris and Lee Zuckerman Clinical Proficiency Award. She completed pediatric residency at Children’s Wisconsin in Milwaukee where she co-founded the Pediatric Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. She then completed pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition fellowship with a niche focus on inflammatory bowel disease at Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine.

Her clinical interests include caring for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and IBD-unclassified), specifically very early-onset inflammatory bowel disease (diagnosed <6 years of age). She values the importance of providing comprehensive care and understanding all medical, environmental, and social factors that may impact her patients’ health. Her research primarily involves the epidemiology, natural history, and genetic basis of inflammatory bowel disease. She also studies how social determinants of health impact presentation and treatment of various gastrointestinal conditions, in order to ultimately combat such factors and improve the health and quality of life of patients.

Dr. Watson is currently an assistant professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition. She sees patients with a wide array of gastrointestinal issues and performs endoscopy at Primary Children’s Hospital and at Primary Children’s Hospital - Lehi. She serves as a gastroenterologist in the multidisciplinary Complex Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program, and she plans to develop a multidisciplinary clinic for patients with very early-onset inflammatory bowel disease.

Board Certification and Academic Information

Academic Departments Pediatrics -Assistant Professor (Clinical)
Academic Divisions Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Nutrition
Board Certification
American Board of Pediatrics (Pediatrics)

Education history

Undergraduate Major: Biochemistry; Minor: Psychology - University of Kansas B.S.
Professional Medical Medicine - Medical College of Wisconsin M.D.
Residency Pediatrics - Children's Wisconsin/Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals Resident
Fellowship Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition - Texas Children¿s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine Fellow

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Watson A, Harris RA, Engevik AC, Oezguen N, Nicholson MR, Dooley S, Stubler R, Satter LF, Karam LB, Kellermayer (2025). MYO5B and the Polygenic Landscape of Very Early-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease in an Ethnically Diverse Population. Inflammatory bowel diseases, 31(1), 189-199.
  2. Watson A, Jazayeri A, Raj (2025). Food insecurity in a diverse community pediatric gastroenterology clinic: Screening strategies and insights. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, 80(1), 80-86.
  3. Watson A, Young C, Ihekweazu F (2025). Assessing Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in a Diverse Cohort with Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease. The Journal of pediatrics, 280, 114504.
  4. Watson A, Harris RA, Oezguen N, Kellermayer (2025). A familial early-onset Crohn's disease-based testing of a small bowel versus colonic location-associated discovery gene network. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, 80(4), 673-677.
  5. Watson A, Karam LB, Kellermayer (2024). Failure Rate of Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor &alpha; Biologics in Very Early Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Inflammatory bowel diseases, 30(3), 510-512.
  6. Patel H, Harris RA, Qian JH, Oezguen N, Watson A, Szigeti RG, Cho S, Ruan W, Britto S, Opekun A, Preidis G, Kellermayer (2024). Genetic Variation Between Small Bowel and Colon-Predominant Crohn's Disease. Cellular and molecular gastroenterology and hepatology, 17(6), 1069-1071.
  7. Watson A, Forbes Satter L, Reiland Sauceda A, Kellermayer R, Karam L (2023). NOD2 Polymorphisms May Direct a Crohn Disease Phenotype in Patients With Very Early-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, 77(6), 748-752.
  8. Tregoning VG, Parran K, Watson AS, Mitchell M (2023). Refractory Pneumonia in a 12-year-old Girl with Hemoglobin SS Disease. Pediatrics in review, 44(2), 100-103.
  9. Watson A, Jafari M, Seifi (2020). The persistent pandemic of violence against health care workers. The American journal of managed care, 26(12), e377-e379.
  10. Watson A, Sheridan B, Rodriguez M, Seifi (2015). Biologically-related or emotionally-connected: who would be the better surrogate decision-maker?. Medicine, health care, and philosophy, 18(1), 147-8.

Case Report

  1. Watson A, Chong T, Karam (2024). Cat scratch colon in a patient with very early-onset Crohn's disease with diverting ileostomy. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, 79(5), 1081-1083.
  2. Simon D, Watson A, Chiou (2023). Duodenal Cloverleaf Deformity Associated With Eosinophilic Inflammation. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, 77(6), e114.
  3. Watson A, Karam L (2022). The Case of a Missing COVID Swab. JPGN reports, 3(4), e272.
  4. Watson A, Kolinski J, Suchi M, Elkadri (2021). Bone Marrow Suppression Associated With Celiac Disease in a 4-Year-Old Boy. ACG case reports journal, 8(2), e00538.

Abstract

  1. Watson A, Harris RA, Oezguen N, Kellermayer (2025). A Familial Very Early-Onset Crohn&rsquo;s Disease Based Refinement of Disease Location Associated Gene Networks. 5(S3), S399.
  2. Watson A, Forbes Satter L, Reiland Sauceda A, Kellermayer R, Karam L (2023). NOD2 Polymorphisms May Direct a Crohn Disease Phenotype in Patients With Very Early-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Gastroenterology, 164(6), s1182-3.
  3. Watson A, Cabrera J, Noe J, Elkadri (2021). Comprehensive retrospective therapeutic outcome analysis in a well- defined cohort of very early-onset inflammatory bowel disease patients shows higher response rates with adalimumab versus infliximab. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, 73(Suppl 1), s417.
  4. Watson A, Labott A, Yarur A (2018). Rate and risk factors for post-operative complications in Crohn&rsquo;s and colitis patients undergoing non-inflammatory bowel disease surgery. Gastroenterology, 154(6), s633-4.
  5. Watson A, Labott A, Yarur A (2018). Biologic drug discontinuation and tobacco use are independently associated with inflammatory bowel disease exacerbation after elective non-IBD related surgery. Gastroenterology, 154(6), s618.