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Department of Pediatrics Department of Pediatrics
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Research

Seema S. Aceves, MD, PhD

  • NIH funded study (R01) on the mechanisms of tissue remodeling in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) (the role of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic molecules), diagnosis (biomarker discovery), and treatment options and their effects on disease complications such as esophageal remodeling 
  • DOD funded study of the genetics of food allergic EoE
  • Executive Council member, The International Gastrointestinal Eosinophil Research Network
  • Editorial Board of Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
  • New Grant: AAAAI/APFED HOPE Pilot Project in Eosinophilic Diseases

John F. Bastian, MD

  • Difficult asthma
  • Immunodeficiency disorders

Jane C. Burns, MD

  • The pathophysiology, immunology, diagnosis, etiology, treatment, genetics, epidemiology and history of Kawasaki disease 
  • A multicenter, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of infliximab plus IVIG for primary treatment of Kawasaki disease
  • Call-back study of adolescents and young adults with a history of Kawasaki disease in childhood

Johanna Chang, MD

  • Pediatric Joint Ultrasound
  • Coinvestigator on several CARRA clinical trials

Alessandra M. Franco, MD, PhD

  • T-cell repertoire in Kawasaki disease
  • Biological function of IVIG therapy
  • Immune-regulation in infants and young children
  • Cytotoxic T cell biology
  • Carbohydrate T cell recognition 
  • Designer glycopeptides containing tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens as vaccines for prevention/treatment of epithelial cancer

  Hal M. Hoffman, MD

  • Role of innate immunity and IL-1 therapy in autoinflammatory disorders 
  • Characterization of cryopyrin inflammasome function using a number of experimental models, including in vitro cell lines, ex vivo monocytes and genetically modified mice 
  • Genetic basis of rare inherited disorders including congenital diarrheas, rare urticarial, and immunodeficiency, and autoinflammatory disorders
  • Inflammatory mechanisms involved in periodic fever disorders of childhood

Anthony A. Horner, MD

  • Characterization of the molecular content and immunological activities of sterile house dust extracts to better define the immunomodulatory role living environments have on the genesis of allergic diseases
  • Translational studies to determine if house dust extract bioactivities are predictive of the intrinsic allergic risk associated with being raised in their homes of origin
  • Treatment of allergic diseases with toll-like receptor ligands and other immune-modulatory molecules
  • Development of a new generation multiplex assay to detect IgE to peanut allergens and to measure their binding affinities (Collaboration with Genalyte)

Stephanie Leonard, MD

  • Principle Investigator of Clinical trial at RCHSD site, for novel treatments of peanut allergy

Karin Peterson, MD, PhD

  • Immunodeficiency disorders

Robert M. Sheets, MD

  • Clinical trials of new treatments for pediatric rheumatologic diseases including the TREAT study

Chisato Shimizu, MD

  • Genetics and molecular pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease

Ilona S. Szer, MD

  • Conducts several clinical trials of new treatments for juvenile arthritis and pediatric rheumatologic diseases 
  • As member of CARRA, Dr. Szer participates in the evaluation and implementation of multicenter studies in Pediatric Rheumatology
  • Chair of DSMB for two current trials