Research

Philip Askenase, MD -Working with the well-known models of cutaneous immune hypersensitivity and immunity, Dr. Askenase discovered the series of steps from challenge with antigen in a sensitized host to the entry of T cells into the site of challenge. This work uncovered a previously unrecognized role of: B-1a B cells, NKT cells, IL-4, complement, serotonin and mast cells. These findings are relevant to the diagnosis and therapy of allergic and autoimmune diseases, as well as cancers and transplantation.

Insoo Kang, MD -The research interest of Dr. Kang’s laboratory is to understand the human immune system in health and disease including autoimmunity, inflammation, primary immunodeficiency and atopic diseases using biological samples and clinical data. In particular, Dr. Kang’s lab has defined subsets of T cells with distinct cellular characteristics based on the expression of cytokine receptors on T cells in health and disease as well as the interactions of such cell subsets with monocytes and other immune cells.

Stephanie Eisenbarth, MD, PhD -Dr. Eisenbarth’s laboratory focuses on how dendritic cells, B cells and T cells interact to induce tailored adaptive immune responses. The work spans how this triad is operational in the spleen to transfused red blood cells (RBCs), in the lung to aeroallergens, and in the gut to food allergens, utilizing both mouse models and human samples.

Eric Meffre, Ph.D. -Dr. Meffre’s laboratory focuses on identifying molecules and pathways involved in the establishment of B cell tolerance through the investigation of rare patients with primary immunodeficiency enrolled at Yale and through an international network.

Florence Ida Hsu, MD -Dr. Hsu has participated over the years in a variety of clinical trials for pharmacotherapeutics in hereditary angioedema and chronic rhinosinusitis. We are currently a site for a multicenter observational trial for patients with hereditary angioedema. Dr. Hsu also collaborates with researchers around the country on other observational clinical studies in hereditary angioedema.

Christina Price, MD -Dr. Price's research goals are to understand the relationship between autoimmunity, immune deficiency and tumor immunology. She developed the clinical immunology-oncology program and is establishing databases and biorepositories of patients on immune modulators with the collaborative effort between the internal medicine subspecialists who are treating immune related adverse events from immune modulators.

Ryan Steele, DO - Dr. Steele cares for patients in the full range of allergic and immunologic diseases. Prior to entering full time academic practice, he conducted post-doctoral research focusing on small peptide therapeutics for auto-immune diseases, as well as work elucidating the mechanisms behind anti-IgE therapy in chronic urticaria. Most recently he started the Yale Allergy & Immunology Contact Dermatitis Program, where he serves as Program Director, and conducts clinical research into allergic skin diseases.

Jason Kwah, MD, MSCI -Dr. Kwah is collaborating with Dr. Moeun Son in Maternal Fetal Medicine in caring for obstetric patients with allergic and immunologic diseases. Their research interest is in understanding the consequence of penicillin allergy in pregnancy and ways to enhance patient care to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. Dr. Kwah also has a research interest in understanding the relationship between upper and lower airways diseases, such as chronic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and bronchiectasis.

Junghee Jenny Shin, MD, Ph.D. -Dr. Shin joined Dr. Insoo Kang’s laboratory in 2018. Her research focuses on characterizing clinical phenotypes of patients with primary immune deficiencies and immune dysregulation using in-depth immune profiling techniques.

Jason Catanzaro, MD -Dr. Catanzaro is a clinical immunologist caring for children diagnosed with primary immune deficiencies (PID). He collaborates with faculty within the Departmentof Immunobiology at Yale to diagnose and manage novel PID.

Gary Soffer, MD -Dr. Soffer’s research interests focus on food allergies and integrative medicine in the pediatric population. He is a principal investigator on a quality improvement study for delabeling penicillin allergies in pediatric patients with Cystic Fibrosis. He also collaborates with New England Food Allergy Treatment Center at Hartford of Connecticut to study the outcomes of oral immune therapy.

Stephanie Leeds, MD -Dr. Leeds has a research interest in food allergy. She has created the first food allergy ECHO (Extension for Community Health Outcomes) model™, in which she facilitates food allergy education and case-based discussions with community pediatricians. The purpose of this project is to improve community provider knowledge related to food allergy, improve utilization of diagnostic testing for food allergy, and improve referrals to allergy for detailed evaluation and management of food allergy. Launched in 2003, the ECHO model™ makes specialized medical knowledge accessible wherever it is needed; by putting local clinicians together with specialist teams at academic medical centers in weekly virtual clinics or teleECHO™ clinics, Project ECHO shares knowledge and expands treatment capacity.

Fellows in our A&I training program have also worked with faculty in other departments including:

Geoffrey Chupp, MD

Carrie Lucas, Ph.D. -Lucas Lab

Noah Palm, Ph.D. - Palm Lab