Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology

The Section of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology is dedicated to being foremost in the world in three missions:

• Providing care for patients with rheumatic, allergic and immunologic disorders
• Educating future generations of thought leaders in the field
• Conducting research into fundamental questions of autoimmunity and immunology
  

We care for patients with the entire spectrum of rheumatic, allergic and immunologic disorders. Rheumatic disorders include rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, Sjogren's syndrome, mixed connective tissue disease, inflammatory myopathies, vasculitis, Lyme disease, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. Allergic and Immunologic disorders include allergic rhinitis, asthma, medication allergy, chronic sinusitis, uticaria, angioedema, hereditary angioneurotic edema, common variable immunodeficiency, as well as primary and secondary immunodeficiency syndromes.

We evaluate and provide treatments for patients with rheumatic disorders utilizing comprehensive laboratory tests, biologic and non-biologic drugs. For patients with allergic and immunology disorders, we provide therapy such as allergen vaccine immunotherapy ("allergy shots"), intravenous and subcutaneous immunoglobulin replenishment, as well as aspirin and antibiotic desensitization.

We train fellows in rheumatology, allergy and clinical immunology with a rich variety of patients at our quaternary medical center and unsurpassed opportunities for immunology research. Graduates of our fellowship program have become leaders in academic rheumatology, allergy and immunology as well as outstanding practitioners in communities throughout the world.

Our research seeks to answer fundamental questions about the role of the immune system in human health and disease. In the 1970's, Lyme disease was discovered at Yale under the guidance of then Section Chief, Stephen Malawista. We Continue to build on this legacy. Currently, investigators in our Section are studying the clinical and basic aspects of rheumatic, allergic and immunologic disorders that include asthma, angioedema, primary immune deficiency and immune deficiency resulting from therapy for autoimmune conditions as well as SLE, RA, Lyme disease and other inflammatory rheumatic diseases.