UVA Asthma, Allergy, and Immunology Research

11/10/2023

Dr. Jeffrey Wilson appeared on NBC29 last night to discuss a link between food specific IgE and cardiovascular mortality - watch the segment here.

New research suggests that sensitivity to common food allergens may be linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

09/08/2023

We were thrilled to welcome two new Fellows to our Division this summer!

Samantha M. T. Nguyen, DO joins us after earning her Master of Biomedical Sciences, graduating from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, and completing her Internal Medicine Residency at Wake Forest University. She fell in love with immunology in college and discovered this love extended to allergy during clinical rotations in medical school!

Thomas L. Offerle, MD graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine and continued his education in Residency at Emory University Pediatrics. He was drawn to allergy and immunology because of the diversity of the patient population and diseases treated. He also is excited by the sense of constant improvement in allergy and immunology because it is on the cutting edge of medical research, with new and improved therapies leading to better patient care and outcomes. He is excited and proud to have matched at UVA – and to be finally done with the match process.

Through their first year of fellowship, they will work closely with faculty members in outpatient clinics and on inpatient consultation services. They will participate in a basic science, translational, or clinical research project in collaboration with a chosen research mentor. At the end of their fellowship, they will be eligible for certification by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology.

We are excited to have them join our team and look forward to seeing them grow as clinicians and researchers during their time here!

08/29/2023

Happy ! Today’s highlight is on one of our wonderful Principal Investigators in the Division, Dr. Monica Lawrence.

Monica Lawrence, MD has been engaged in translational research since beginning her education as an undergraduate student at Duke University and has been consistently recognized for her skill in research. She joined the University of Virginia in 2013 after completing her fellowship in Allergy and Immunology at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NAID). She has been a leader in the Division, serving as the Fellowship Director and head of the Rhinovirus Core Laboratory.

She was drawn to allergy and immunology by the patients that she has the opportunity to care for; “it is wonderful to have the opportunity to see both children and adults, and to care for many patients for years and build relationships with them.” She finds it rewarding to make meaningful impacts on patients and their quality of life. She also enjoys how quickly the field changes and how many diverse disease states she cares for, “I feel like I am always learning new things, which I love!”

She appreciates working with the best people, both in the academic division and in clinics, commenting, “Truly, I am surrounded by excellence, which motivates me to continue to strive for excellence myself.”

Dr. Lawrence collaborates extensively with investigators both within and outside the Division. Her lab’s primary research focuses are severe childhood asthma, the role of rhinovirus infection plays in its exacerbations, and the role of IgE in primary immunodeficiency. Read more about her lab’s current projects here : https://med.virginia.edu/asthma-allergy-immunology/research/monica-lawrence-md/

08/25/2023

Ava joined the Borish Lab this summer to gain valuable lab skills and see what life is like in the world of medical research. She was able to learn about lab safety, a variety of techniques, and how to interpret and present data.

Ava has recently started her undergraduate education at Virginia Commonwealth University. We have loved having her in the lab and wish her the best at VCU!

08/23/2023

Congratulations to our Eosinophilic Esophagitis research team on their feature on Allergy!

Collection of Allergy's recently published Original Articles: Food Allergy and Gastrointestinal Disease

08/11/2023

Derek and Aaron, both second year medical students at the UVA School of Medicine, joined the Division to get hands-on research experience this summer.

Derek joined the McGowan Lab and worked on investigating optimal conditions for the formation of an IgG4:milk complex.

Aaron joined the Borish lab and worked on a variety of projects, including cutaneous manifestations of cystic fibrosis, novel mutations in the A20/TNFAIP3 gene, changes in chronic Rhinosinusitis in patients who also have psoriasis, and mechanisms of radiation treatment leading to non-IgE allergic reactions.

They presented their research to their peers in the medical school on Monday, 31 July.

We wish them the best of luck as they continue their medical education!

08/01/2023

The Division of Asthma, Allergy, and Immunology boasts a robust and thriving research component. Led by dedicated research faculty in conjunction with many of the clinical faculty, our Division positions itself on the leading edge of discovery in an area related to allergic disease processes and immunological disorders. Read more about the Division’s current research here. s://med.virginia.edu/asthma-allergy-immunology/

UVA’s Division of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology is focused on education, research and medical care for the asthma-related and allergic conditions.