Medical Scientific Council

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Medical Scientific Council

The AAFA Medical Scientific Council (MSC) is a committee of AAFA. The MSC includes doctors, scientists, health professionals and other experts. They review medical and scientific content for AAFA, provide expertise as medial spokespeople for AAFA, and advise our board of directors and staff.

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Mitchell H. Grayson, MD, MSC Chair

Director, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Professor of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University

Mitchell GraysonMitchell Grayson, MD, is a professor of pediatrics and Chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University. He is the Grant Morrow, III, MD, Endowed Chair in Pediatric Research.

Dr. Grayson’s clinical interests are primarily asthma, allergic rhinitis, food allergy and anaphylaxis. He oversees an active laboratory funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that studies the role viral infections play in the development of allergic disease.

Dr. Grayson received his medical degree from the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine. After completing an internal medicine residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, he undertook his allergy/immunology fellowship at Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Grayson is a board-certified diplomate of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology and an active fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) and the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI). He is a Director for the American Board of Allergy and Immunology and is on the board of directors of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, as well as a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the American Lung Association. Dr. Grayson has served on numerous grant review study sections for the NIH and has been on several editorial boards for allergy and immunology journals.

Richard Murray, MD

Chief Medical Officer, Spire Health

Richard MurrayRichard Murray, MD, is the Chief Medical Officer for Spire Health. He is a physician scientist with experience ranging from basic science, discovery, clinical and outcomes research, pharmaceutical research and development, and commercialization.

Special areas of interest include asthma and respiratory disease, quality of care, health care disparities, continuous quality improvement, and patient-centered approaches in science, medicine and research and development, patient advocacy, ethics and conflicts of interest, and health care policy. He currently is focusing on remote patient monitoring for patients with respiratory diseases including asthma and COPD.

Dr. Murray received his medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine and served his residency in internal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania where he was Chief Medical Resident. After completing his pulmonary and critical fellowship at Penn, he joined the faculty in the Pulmonary Division. Dr. Murray spent 24 years at Merck after leaving Penn, where much of his work focused on respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

He is the immediate past Chair of the Board of Directors for AAFA and the current Chair of the Governance Committee of AAFA’s board.

Miriam Anand, MD

President, Allergy Associates and Asthma, Ltd.

Mairiam Anand MDMiriam Anand, MD, is the President of Allergy Associates and Asthma, Ltd. Dr. Anand is an allergist-immunologist in Tempe, Arizona, and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Abrazo Central Campus and Banner Baywood Medical Center.

Dr. Anand is a graduate of the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C. She completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Scottsdale, Arizona, and completed an allergy/immunology fellowship at National Jewish Medical Center in Denver, Colorado.

She is a fellow of the AAAAI and the ACAAI.

Clifford Bassett, MD

Founder and Medical Director, Allergy and Asthma Care of New York

Clifford Bassett MDClifford Bassett, MD, is the founder and Medical Director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York, clinical assistant professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine, and on the teaching faculty at Weill Cornell Medical College.

He is an expert on seasonal and indoor allergies, sinusitis and allergic skin disorders. He offers an informed integrative and whole-body approach to allergy prevention and management.

Dr. Bassett earned his medical degree from State University of New York and completed a residency at Hackensack University Medical Center and a fellowship at Long Island College Hospital.

Dr. Bassett is featured regularly on national television, radio and print media and has been a frequent lecturer for corporate wellness programs. He is also a frequent contributor to online blogs and websites on countless allergy topics. He has sat on multiple committees for the AAAAI, ACAAI and the New York Allergy and Asthma Society.

Bradley A. Becker, MD

Professor of Allergy and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Bradley BeckerBradley Becker, MD, is a professor of allergy and immunology in the departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He is board certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology and the American Board of Pediatrics.

Dr. Becker treats the full array of allergic and primary immune deficiency disorders and has a special interest in food allergy, eosinophilic esophagitis and asthma. He is also interested in research for food allergies, eosinophilic esophagitis, asthma and primary immune deficiency disorders.

Dr. Becker earned his medical degree from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, followed by a combined internal medicine and pediatrics residency at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center and a fellowship in allergy and immunology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Becker is a fellow of the ACAAI, AAAAI and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Sarbjit Singh Saini, MD

Program Director, Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Sarbjit Singh Saini, MDSarbjit Saini, MD, is the Program Director of the Allergy and Immunology Fellowship Program and professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Dr. Saini’s research interests have focused on IgE receptor biology and IgE receptor mediated activation of blood basophils and mast cells. He has also served as the principal investigator and co-investigator for basic and translational studies examining the role of IgE receptor expression and activation in allergic airways disease, anaphylaxis and chronic urticaria. His research has been supported by the NIH, American Lung Association and the AAAAI.

Dr. Saini received his medical degree at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, followed by a residency in internal medicine at the University of Michigan and a fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Saini joined faculty of the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology immediately following his fellowship in 1997.

Dr. Saini has been a reviewer for the “Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology,” “Annals of Internal Medicine” and the “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.” He has served as an associate editor for “Allergy,” “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” and for the urticaria and angioedema section of “UpToDate.” Dr. Saini also serves on the board of directors for AAFA.

S. Allan Bock, MD

Children’s Hospital Colorado

S Allen Brock MDAllan Bock, MD, is a pediatric allergy and immunology specialist in Lafayette, Colorado.

Working with Charles D. May, MD, Dr. Bock helped perfect the procedure of the double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge and made it the gold standard for the evaluation of adverse reactions to foods.

He graduated from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, followed by a pediatrics residency at Children’s Hospital Colorado and a fellowship at National Jewish Medical and Research Center.

Dr. Bock is a fellow of the AAAAI and the AAP. He has received numerous awards for his volunteer work.

Jeffrey G. Demain, MD

Founder, Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center of Alaska; Clinical Professor, University of Washington School of Medicine; Adjunct Professor, University of Alaska; Founder, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Alaska Chapter

Jeffery Dermain MDJeffrey G. Demain, MD, is the founder of the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center of Alaska. He is a Clinical Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Adjunct Professor at the University of Alaska. In 1998, Dr. Demain founded the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center of Alaska, and in 2001, he founded the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Alaska Chapter.

His research interests include climate change impact on respiratory and allergic disease and insect anaphylaxis.

Dr. Demain received his medical degree from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, followed by an internship and residency at Children’s Medical Center Dayton and a fellowship at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center GME.

He is actively involved with the AAAAI. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the Environmental and Occupational Disease interest section, and serves on many other committees, including the Anaphylaxis Committee, Practice Improvement and Eosinophilic Disease Committee. Dr. Demain has been published in numerous peer-reviewed medical journals, is a review editor on several journals, and is co-author of two textbooks.

Alison Ehrlich, MD

Dermatologist, Foxhall Dermatology

Alison Ehrlich MDAlison Ehrlich, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, is the former founding Chair and Director of Clinical Research in the Department of Dermatology at the George Washington University. After many years in academic medicine, she has now established her private practice in the Washington D.C. area.

In her practice, Dr. Ehrlich continues to specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic contact dermatitis and psoriasis, as well as cosmetic dermatology. She also continues to participate in and lead clinical research studies, and her current research projects focus on psoriasis, allergic contact dermatitis and atopic dermatitis.

She received her medical degree from the George Washington School of Medicine. Following her residency in dermatology, she completed a fellowship in clinical research and a master’s in clinical research through a combined NIH/Duke program.

She is active in dermatology leadership and has been President of the Washington D.C. Dermatological Society, past board member of the American Contact Dermatitis Society and past Chair of the Access to Care Committee for the American Academy of Dermatology. She is also on the board of directors of the Women’s Dermatological Society.

David Fleischer, MD

Director, Allergy and Immunology Center, Associate Section Head, Children’s Hospital Colorado

David Fleischer MDDavid Fleischer, MD, is the Director for the Allergy and Immunology Center and Associate Section Head for Children’s Hospital Colorado. He is the Director of the Food Challenge Unit at CHCO, where he is working to develop a Food Allergy and Atopic Dermatitis Diagnostic and Treatment Center, that he will direct. He also treats patients in the nationally recognized, multidisciplinary Gastrointestinal Eosinophil Diseases Program at CHCO.

Dr. Fleischer’s clinical interests include food allergy, eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease and atopic dermatitis. His research has focused on the natural history of food allergy and novel treatments for food allergy, including oral and sublingual immunotherapies. He currently is researching the use of component IgE testing in the diagnosis and management of food allergy.

Dr. Fleischer completed his undergraduate training at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, medical degree training at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, and both pediatric residency and pediatric allergy/immunology fellowship training at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

Dr. Fleischer has published multiple original articles, review articles and book chapters on food allergy and eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease. He is a reviewer for multiple allergy journals, including the “Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Allergy, Clinical and Experimental Allergy,” and “Pediatric Allergy and Immunology.” He is a fellow of the AAAAI and the AAP. He is the current Vice President of the Colorado Allergy and Asthma Society.

Maureen George, PhD, RN, AEC, FAAN

Associate Professor of Nursing, Columbia School of Nursing

Maureen George, PhD, RN, AEC, FAANMaureen George, PhD, RN, is an associate professor of nursing at the Columbia School of Nursing.

Dr. George’s program of research focuses broadly on reducing health inequities in vulnerable populations with chronic respiratory disease. Particular areas of interest include community-based participatory research (CBPR) with poor and minority patients and their health care providers to understand how self-management preferences and patient-provider communication (shared decision-making, motivational interviewing, brief interventions) influence treatment choices (adherence). To the end, she uses community-informed strategies to address obstacles to disease control, such as health beliefs, health literacy and the built environment. She has extensive experience as a nurse scientist and behavioral scientist designing, testing and disseminating interventions informed by innovative qualitative, CBPR and mixed research methods.

Dr. George received her MSN and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and completed a fellowship at Johns Hopkins University.

She has been the recipient of numerous awards for her achievements in leadership and education. She also currently serves on committees for other professional and patient organizations, including the American Lung Association, the AAAAI and the ACAAI. In 2018, she was appointed to the United Nations Environmental Program’s Medical Technical Options Committee which prepares assessments for the Parties of the Montreal Protocol. This committee reviews the current state of knowledge of technical, scientific, environmental and economic issues as it relates to reducing ozone depletion caused by metered dose inhalers and other medical aerosols.

Sarah Goff, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Sarah Goff MD PhDSarah Goff, MD, PhD is an associate professor and dual-boarded primary care pediatrician and internist at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Her research broadly seeks to address issues of quality and equity in the U.S. health care system. Much of her work focuses on health and health care for women and children. Recent studies include determining the relationship between organizational factors and pediatric health care quality, identifying barriers to effective implementation of evidence-based guidelines for perinatal depression in pediatric practices, and determining whether Medicaid accountable care organizations improve asthma outcomes for children at high risk for disparities. She is a mixed-methodologist and uses administrative data, surveys, key-informant interviews, focus groups, secondary textual analyses and ethnographic methods to answer research questions. She not only enjoys multi-disciplinary collaboration, including with community partners, but finds it necessary to try to address the complex issues of quality and equity found in the U.S. health care system.

Dr. Goff received her medical degree from University of Massachusetts Medical School, followed by post-doctoral fellowships at Yale School of Medicine and Tufts University.

She serves as a reviewer for various journals including the “Journal of General Internal Medicine” and the “Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics.”

Todd Green, MD

Vice President Medical Affairs, DBV Technologies; Allergist Immunologist, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh

Todd Green MDTodd Green, MD, is the Vice President of Medical Affairs at DBV Technologies and an allergist/immunologist at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

He received his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Dr. Green currently serves on committees for the AAAAI and the ACAAI.

Matthew Greenhawt, MD

Director, Food Challenge and Research Unit, Children’s Hospital Colorado

Matthew Greenhawt MDMatthew Greenhawt, MD, is board certified in pediatrics and allergy and immunology. He serves as an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital Colorado and the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the Co-Director of the Children’s Hospital Colorado Food Challenge Unit. While at the University of Michigan, he co-founded and co-directed the Pediatric Combined Eosinophilic Esophagitis Clinic and was the Research Director for the University of Michigan Food Allergy Center.

Dr. Greenhawt’s specific research interests include parental understanding of food allergy risk and shared decision-making, utilization of food allergy-related health services, adherence to practice guidelines, optimal strategies for diagnosis and treatment of food allergic disorders, prevention of food allergy and quality of life among families with food allergic diseases.

A graduate of Tufts University – where he earned both his medical and Master of Business Administration degrees – he completed a residency in pediatrics at the New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital at Columbia University Medical Center and a fellowship in allergy and immunology at the University of Michigan. He also received a Master of Science in Health and Healthcare Policy at the University of Michigan Rackham School of Graduate Studies.

He currently serves on multiple committees for the AAAAI and the ACAAI.

Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH

Director, Institute for Public Health and Medicine (IPHAM) – Center for Food Allergy & Asthma Research, Professor of Pediatrics (Academic General Pediatrics and Primary Care) and Medicine (Allergy and Immunology), Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine

Ruchi Gupta MD MPHRuchi Gupta, MD, MPH, is a professor of pediatrics and medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Clinical Attending at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. She has more than 15 years of experience as a board-certified pediatrician and health researcher. She currently serves as the Director of the Center for Food Allergy & Asthma Research (CFAAR) and Science and Outcomes of Allergy and Asthma Research Program (SOAAR) where she is actively involved in clinical, epidemiological and community-based research.

Her research interests include food allergy and asthma epidemiology, and she has been nationally recognized for her research on childhood food allergy prevalence. She has also significantly contributed to academic research surrounding economic costs, pediatric management of food allergy and asthma, emergency department visits and hospitalizations, quality of life and community interventions, especially in schools.

Dr. Gupta completed her undergraduate and medical education at the University of Louisville. She completed her medical residency at Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center, University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, and then a pediatric health services research fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She then received her Master of Public Health (MPH) from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Vivian Hernandez-Trujillo, MD

Director, Division of Allergy & Immunology, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital; Attending Physician, Allergy and Immunology Care Center of South Florida

Vivian Hernandez-Trujillo, MDVivian Hernandez-Trujillo, MD, is the Director of the Division of Allergy & Immunology at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and an attending physician at the Allergy and Immunology Care Center of South Florida. Dr. Hernandez-Trujillo is board certified in general pediatrics and allergy and immunology.

Her clinical interests include anaphylaxis, food allergy, suspected or confirmed primary immunodeficiency disorders, recurrent infections, drug allergy, urticaria, angioedema, hereditary angioedema, atopic dermatitis, stinging insect hypersensitivity/venom allergy, allergic rhinitis and asthma. Dr. Hernandez-Trujillo has published numerous articles and textbook chapters on the topics of primary immunodeficiency disease, food allergy and anaphylaxis, and is actively involved in research studies on these topics.

Dr. Hernandez-Trujillo earned her medical degree from Albany Medical College in New York. She completed her pediatric residency program at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, followed by a fellowship in allergy and immunology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center through the University of Tennessee in Memphis.

Dr. Hernandez-Trujillo is a fellow of the AAAAI, the ACAAI and the AAP. She has held numerous national positions, including past Chair of the Anaphylaxis Committee at the AAAAI and is currently a member of the Immune Deficiency Foundation Medical Advisory Committee. She has been the recipient of numerous awards for her dedication, academic achievement and accomplishments.

Sumita Khatri, MD, MS

Vice Chair of the Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic; Director, Asthma Center, Cleveland Clinic; Associate Professor, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University

Sumita Khatri, MD, MSSumita Khatri, MD, MS, is the Vice Chair of the Respiratory Institute and Director of the Asthma Center at Cleveland Clinic and Professor of medicine at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. She is an adult pulmonary and ICU physician with a specialized focus in asthma patient care and clinical research.

Her clinical and research interests include the effects of air pollution and environmental triggers on asthma, evaluating biomarkers of asthma, and community engagement with respect to asthma and lung health. In this regard, she has been involved with the NIH-sponsored Severe Asthma Research Program, collaborative research with the USEPA and medical industry-associated asthma therapy trials.

Dr. Khatri earned her medical degree at The Ohio State University, trained in adult pulmonary and critical care medicine at Cleveland Clinic, and earned a master’s degree in clinical research at Emory University.

Dr. Khatri is involved in public health outreach and patient advocacy, serves on the national board of the American Lung Association and is an active member of the American Thoracic Society (ATS).

Neeru Khurana Hershey, MD, PhD

Director, Division of Asthma Research, Co-Director of the Office of Pediatric Clinical Fellowships, Professor, University of Cincinnati Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s

Neeru Khurana Hershey, MD, PhDNeeru Khurana Hershey, MD, PhD, is an endowed professor of pediatrics and the Director of the Division of Asthma Research at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She is board certified in pediatrics and allergy and immunology and is an active clinician, educator and researcher.

Her research focuses on the overall goal of improving the health of children with asthma. Her laboratory uses multidisciplinary approaches that seamlessly integrate innovative human cohorts with animal and in vitro models to identify and delineate the mechanisms that contribute to the development, progression and persistence of asthma.

Dr. Khurana Hershey received her medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.

She serves on the National Advisory Allergy and Infectious Disease Council and serves as Chair of the NIH Asthma and Allergic Diseases Cooperative Research Centers Steering Committee. Dr. Khurana Hershey was awarded the Drake Medal by the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, the highest honor that the College of Medicine bestows. She was also awarded the Washington University Medical School Alumni Achievement Award, and in 2015, she was awarded the World Allergy Organization Scientific Achievement Award.

Neeta Ogden, MD

Director, The Allergy, Asthma, and Sinus Center

Neeta Odgen MDNeeta Ogden, MD, is an allergy, asthma and immunology specialist in private practice as the Director of The Allergy, Asthma and Sinus Center in Edison, New Jersey.

She is board certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology and American Board of Internal Medicine and has published research in academic journals and presented research at national allergy meetings. Her research has included investigating the effect of probiotics on allergic disease.

A graduate of Yale University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Ogden trained in internal medicine followed by a specialty fellowship in allergy and immunology.

Dr. Ogden is a fellow of the ACAAI, a spokesperson for the ACAAI and a member of the AAAAI.

Reynold A. Panettieri, Jr., MD

Vice Chancellor, Translational Medicine and Science; Director, Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science; Professor of Medicine, Rutgers University; Emeritus Professor of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Reynold Panettieri, JR MDReynold A. Panettieri, Jr., MD, is a professor of medicine, Vice Chancellor for Translational Medicine and Science at Rutgers University, and the Director of the Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science. Previously, he was the Robert L. Mayock and David A. Cooper Professor of Medicine in the Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division of the Department of Medicine. He also served as Deputy Director of the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine where he remains professor emeritus.

Dr. Panettieri is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Robert E. Cooke Memorial Lectureship at the AAAAI Annual Meeting, the Joseph R. Rodarte Award for Scientific Distinction, and the Recognition Award for Scientific Accomplishments from the ATS. He is also an active member of national professional and scientific societies, including the American College of Chest Physicians and ATS; in 2013, he was elected Chair of the Respiratory Structure and Function Assembly of the ATS. Dr. Panettieri served as Chair of the NIH Lung Cellular, Molecular, and Immunobiology Study Section, is a member of the NIH Distinguished Editorial Panel, and is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and Association of American Physicians.

Dr. Panettieri is the principal investigator on several NIH-sponsored grants and industry-sponsored clinical studies, is Director of a program project grant examining novel approaches in modulating G protein-coupled receptor function, and is the principal investigator of the New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science CTSA hub. He is the author of more than 475 peer-reviewed publications.

Dr. Panettieri manages the comprehensive clinical care of patients with asthma and is engaged in clinical investigations focused on the management of asthma and COPD.

Mike Pistiner, MD, MMSc

Director of Food Allergy Advocacy, Education and Prevention, Food Allergy Center, Massachusetts General Hospital

Michael Pilsner, MMScMichael Pistiner, MD, is Director of Food Allergy Advocacy, Education and Prevention for the MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Food Allergy Center.

Dr. Pistiner has special interests in food allergy and anaphylaxis education and advocacy, infant food allergy management, health care provider education, facilitating collaborations between the medical home and school health, and maintaining quality of life in children with food allergies and their families.

Dr. Pistiner received his medical degree from State University of New York Upstate Medical University, followed by a residency at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Campus.

He is a fellow of the AAP, where he is a member of the Section on Allergy and Immunology Executive Committee, Council on School Health and the Massachusetts Chapter of the AAP. He is also a member of the AAAAI and the ACAAI. Additionally, he serves on the medical advisory board of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, New England Chapter.

Jill Poole, MD

Nebraska Medicine

Jill Poole, MDJill Poole, MD, is an allergist-immunologist in Omaha, Nebraska, and is affiliated with Nebraska Medicine-Nebraska Medical Center.

Her research is focused on understanding the mechanisms underlying the inflammatory airway disease that occurs following inhalant environmental and occupational dust exposures, with particular focus on agriculture dusts.

Dr. Poole received her medical degree from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, followed by a residency in internal medicine at the Barnes Jewish Hospital Institute of Health, and a fellowship in allergy and immunology at National Jewish Health.

She is a fellow of the AAAAI.

Lawrence B. Schwartz, MD, PhD

Charles and Evelyn Thomas Professor of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, and Chair of the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology at Virginia Commonwealth University

undefinedDr. Schwartz is an innovative and leading translational research investigator who, with colleagues, has made fundamental discoveries about human mast cells. These discoveries include identifying different types of these cells, discovering human α & β tryptases, proteases preferentially expressed by mast cells, inventing clinically useful tryptase immunoassays that facilitate the diagnosis of systemic mastocytosis, systemic anaphylaxis, hereditary alpha-tryptasemia, and exposing important biologic and pathobiologic aspects of α & β tryptases. By both caring for patients with such disorders and being involved in related laboratory and clinical research, he brings forth a physician-scientist’s perspective.

Dr. Schwartz received his medical and doctor of philosophy degrees from Washington University, completed a residency in internal medicine at Barnes Hospital and fellowships in rheumatology and allergy/immunology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and has been in clinical practice and conducting research for about 40 years.

Dr. Schwartz has been awarded an NIH MERIT award, the 2015 Distinguished Scientist Award from AAAAI, and the 2015 Scientist of the Year Award from the European Competence Network on Mastocytosis. He has been elected to honorary societies such as the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians, and to leadership positions such as the Chair of the American board of Allergy and Immunology (2001), President of the Clinical Immunology Society (2011-2012), Chair of the AAAAI Program Directors Assembly (2010-2012), and Chair of the NIH Immunological Sciences (1992-1994) and NIAID Inner City Asthma Consortium (2002) study sections. Dr. Schwartz also serves on the board of directors for AAFA.

Jonathan Silverberg, MD, PhD, MPH

Director of Clinical Research and Contact Dermatitis, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Jonathan Silverberg, MD, PhD, MPHJonathan Silverberg, MD, PhD, MPH, is the Director of Clinical Research and Contact Dermatitis at the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

He specializes in atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis, as well as other chronic inflammatory skin diseases, such as psoriasis, urticaria, blistering diseases, alopecia areata and vitiligo. He is a national expert in contact dermatitis and directs the patch testing service at GW. His research interests include drug development, clinical trial design, biomarkers, dermato-epidemiology, health services research, patient-reported outcomes, comorbidities and burden of itch, and inflammatory skin disease and evidence-based dermatology. Dr. Silverberg has also been a local, national and international principal investigator for numerous clinical trials for novel treatments in atopic dermatitis and other inflammatory disorders.

Dr. Silverberg received his medical degree from the State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center where he also completed his internship in internal medicine.

He is an associate editor for the “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology,” “British Journal of Dermatology” and “Current Dermatology Reports,” and serves as the Chair of the annual Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis global multidisciplinary conference.

David R. Stukus, MD

Director of the Food Allergy Center and Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio

Davis Stukus, MDDavid Stukus, MD, is a professor of pediatrics in the Division of Allergy and Immunology and Director of the Food Allergy Treatment Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He is board certified in allergy/immunology and pediatrics.

Dr. Stukus has devoted his career to communicating evidence-based medicine and best clinical practice to colleagues, medical professionals of all backgrounds, patients and the general public. In addition to providing clinical care for children with all types of allergic conditions, He participates in clinical research, quality improvement, patient advocacy and medical education.

Dr. Stukus obtained his medical degree at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and his fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic.

An internationally recognized keynote speaker, Dr. Stukus has received named lectureships and awards from various national and international organizations. Dr. Stukus holds multiple leadership positions in the AAAAI and the ACAAI and is one of 12 allergists invited as a member of the Joint Task Force for Practice Parameters. He has been named a top doctor in pediatric allergy every year since 2015.

Carina Venter, PhD, RD

Associate Professor, Pediatrics-Allergy/Immunology, Children’s Hospital Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Carina Venter, PhD, RDCarina Venter, PhD, RD, is an associate professor of pediatrics, Section of Allergy and Immunology at the Children’s Hospital Colorado and University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine.

She is a registered dietitian with a specialty in food allergies. She is committed to helping children diagnosed with food allergies and has focused her research and clinical practice over the past 20 years on the prevention, diagnosis and management of food allergies and other allergic diseases. Her research examines how nutrition and other modifiable factors contribute to the development of allergic diseases and uses observational studies to identify risk factors such as epigenetical changes and the role of the microbiome.

Dr. Venter obtained her Bachelor of Science in dietetics from the University of the Free State, South Africa, followed by a postgraduate diploma in allergy and a PhD from the University of Southampton, United Kingdom.

She is one of the founding members of the International Network of Dieticians and Nutritionists in Allergy and was appointed to the expert panel of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to develop peanut allergy prevention guidelines.

The AAFA Medical Scientific Council (MSC) is a committee of AAFA. The MSC includes doctors, scientists, health professionals and other experts. They review medical and scientific content for AAFA and advise our board of directors and the President/CEO.