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Department of Pediatrics: Allergy and Immunology Fellowship Program

Research and Scholarly Activity

Research

As the advancement of cutting-edge science is one of the primary means of keeping our field relevant and moving forward, a research/scholarly activity experience is a requirement of all ACGME-accredited Allergy and Immunology training programs. It is also one of the core missions of our UAMS Allergy and Immunology program. To achieve this, our program has been designed with a particular focus on supporting the development of young physician-scientists. It is our belief that a meaningful research experience teaches a way of thinking and an approach to problems that makes our trainees stronger, more prepared, and more competitive as they enter the workforce. To this effect, fellows have ample time during their first months of training to identify areas of interest and explore potential research opportunities in collaboration with a research mentor.

Key Areas of Research within the Allergy and Immunology Section

  • Asthma and Lung Disease
    • Asthma disparities and health outcome research
    • Technology-based solutions research
    • Lung Cell Biology Laboratory focused on human lung platforms and viral-mediated lung disease
    • Cross-sectional prospective studies of asthma exacerbations and viral infections
    • Clinical trials and population-based studies
  • Food Allergy
    • Food allergy immune therapeutics translational research program
    • Food allergy clinical trials
    • Food allergy birth cohort and longitudinal study
    • Food allergy and nutrition
    • Food allergy clinical registry
  • Eosinophilic Esophagitis and Gastrointestinal  Disorders (EGID)
    • Eosinophilic esophagitis translational research laboratory
    • EGID clinical research program
    • Clinical trials and immunotherapeutics in EGID
    • EGID clinical registry

Quality Improvement Project

During the fellowship training period, all A/I fellows are required to complete a Quality Improvement (QI) project. The A/I faculty regularly perform QI projects to optimize patient care and are available to mentor the fellow throughout their project. ACH is also a designated American Board of Pediatrics Maintenance of Certification (ABP MOC) Part IV institution with a portfolio of QI activities that have been completed or are ongoing, with resources available to faculty and fellows for new projects. Each fellow develops, implements and assesses their project with the aid of a supervising faculty member.

Fellow Research Publications

  1. Abdelkader S, Jefferson AA. Trust, A Key to Counter Vaccine Hesitancy. J Infect Dis. 2025 Aug 14;232(2):274-277. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiaf239. PMID: 40338052; PMCID: PMC12349930.
  2. Mahmood L, Sarkar KR, Neal K, Brown RC, Brown AW, Stewart S, Pesek RD, Jefferson AA, Perry TT. Video directly observed therapy to improve inhaler technique among pediatric patients with persistent asthma. J Asthma. 2025 Sep;62(9):1591-1598. doi: 10.1080/02770903.2025.2499829. Epub 2025 May 5. PMID: 40298296; PMCID: PMC12353540.
  3. Filip AB, Mahmood L, Tilly C, Foster HR, Jackson F, Banner W, Platts-Mills TAE, Wilson J, Bortz PS, Charlton N, Kennedy JL. Prevalence of Adverse Drug Reactions: Comparing Crotalidae Immune Polyvalent Antivenoms F(ab’)2 and F(ab) in a Galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal) Endemic Area. Ann Emerg Med. 2025 Aug 16:S0196-0644(25)01039-X. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2025.06.618. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40817895.
  4. Mahmood LZ, Perry TT, Jefferson AA, Berlinski A. Implications of removing race from spirometry reference equations in children with asthma. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2025 Jul 11:S1081-1206(25)00343-6. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2025.07.003. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40651563.
  5. Mahmood LZ, Jefferson AA. The Protective Effect of Moderate Maternal Peanut Consumption on Peanut Sensitization and Allergy. Pediatrics. 2024 Dec 1;154(Suppl 4):S10-S11. doi: 10.1542/peds.2024-069114DG. PMID: 39620752.
  6. Doan DT, Strebeck PV, Tran AD, Farrar JE, Appell LE, Modi AJ, Jefferson AA. Evaluation of recurrent and recalcitrant warts in a deaf adolescent male reveals GATA2 deficiency. J Allergy Clin Immunol Glob. 2024 Jul 26;3(4):100313. doi: 10.1016/j.jacig.2024.100313. PMID: 39221430; PMCID: PMC11364118.
  7. Mahmood L, Keskin S, Jefferson AA. Precision care in the treatment of pediatric asthma. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2024 Jun 1;36(3):304-309. doi: 10.1097/MOP.0000000000001343. Epub 2024 Feb 23. PMID: 38411592; PMCID: PMC11042999.
  8. Jones SM, Anvari S, Coleman A, Pesek RD, Kloepfer KM, Perry TT, Jefferson AA, Doan D, Andres A, Doderer M, Hilbun A, Solomon R, Scurlock AM. Food insecurity and allergic diseases: A call to collective action. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2024 Feb;153(2):359-367. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.10.019. Epub 2023 Nov 4. PMID: 37926122.
  9. Price AS, Jefferson AA, Perry TT. Generational Consequences From Historical Redlining: Longitudinal Impacts on Air Pollution and Asthma Health Outcomes. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2023 Mar;11(3):970-971. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2023.01.019. Epub 2023 Jan 25. PMID: 36706984.
  10. Price AS, Kennedy JL. T-helper 2 mechanisms involved in human rhinovirus infections and asthma. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2022 Dec;129(6):681-691. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2022.08.015. Epub 2022 Aug 21. PMID: 36002092; PMCID: PMC10316285.