Gurpreet Singh Ahuja, MD, FAAP joined the Sikh Coalition Board of Trustees in 2021. He is the Division Chief of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery with CHOC Children’s Specialists. He is the Clinical Professor of Otolaryngology at the University of California, Irvine. He received his medical degree at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India. He completed his residency in Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in New York, followed by a fellowship in pediatric otolaryngology at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
Gurpreet has been recognized as an expert in the field of pediatric otolaryngology-head and neck surgery for over 25 years with a special interest in pediatric airway reconstruction, congenital head and neck disorders, and in the EXIT procedure for the management of the compromised fetal/neonatal airway. His research interests include imaging of the neonatal and pediatric airway to elucidate the pathophysiology of acquired airway disorders. He has co-authored several publications in peer-reviewed medical journals.
The recipient of numerous honors and awards, Gurpreet has been regularly voted by his peers into the Super Doctors of Southern California. He is a recipient of the Teacher of the Year Award from the residents of the Otolaryngology program at UC Irvine on numerous occasions. Gurpreet consistently receives the annual Physician of Excellence award from the Orange County Medical Association. He is the clinical lead on the Pediatric Upper Airway Modeling and Imaging Team that received the UCI Institute of Clinical and Translational Science’s coveted Interdisciplinary Team Science Award in 2014. Gurpreet has served in several leadership positions which have included a decade on CHOC Children’s Medical Executive committee culminating in his tenure as the President of the Medical Staff for the years 2011 and 2012. He currently sits on the Board of the Pediatric Subspecialty Faculty at CHOC Children’s Hospital.
Along with his wife, Gurpreet is an active community leader and volunteer serving the Orange County community with a commitment to promoting community relations, social justice, and interfaith understanding. He serves as a Director on the Board of the Orange County Human Relations Council. He has represented the Sikh community and worked with numerous interfaith organizations to foster peace and understanding, and was the recipient of the 2006 Spotlight Award from the South Coast Interfaith Council for outstanding community service as a layman. He was additionally featured in the 2008 edition of “America’s Table”, a thanksgiving reader published by the American Jewish Committee, celebrating the diverse roots of American citizens and the values that we all share.