The research section of allergy and immunology is committed to increasing the knowledge of allergic diseases with emphasis on food allergy, asthma and sinus disease in both adults and children.
The Rush Celiac and Food Sensitivity Clinic is a comprehensive clinic that provides personalized care for adults and children with food sensitivities and celiac disease. The clinic is based in the Department of Allergy and Immunology, and includes physicians who specialize in gastroenterology and allergy/immunology. The team of doctors, our physician assistant, dietitians, nurses and medical assistant is working to help patients who are frequently underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other gastrointestinal disorders. Our expertise allows us to provide a comprehensive picture of the patient’s digestive complaints as it relates to food allergies or intolerances.
Our work
Our current emphasis is on the role of both IgE and non-IgE mediated reactions in the gastrointestinal tract as it relates to the microbiome and permeability. Our subjects, both adult and children, are recruited from patients seen in our Celiac and Food Sensitivity Clinic.
- Identifying the types of atopic irritable bowel syndrome by means of serum markers and changes in stool microbiome.
- Evaluating the permeability (gut leakiness) in patients with food mediated allergy and the effect of dietary changes on this permeability.
- Establishing a patient data base with demographic data and questionnaires completed at each visit regarding allergies, GI symptoms, sleep habits and quality of life.
- Establishing a GI repository for future projects in subjects undergoing allergy or gastrointestinal procedures who donate blood and stool.
- Research in the disparities of children with food allergies among black, Latino and white children in collaboration with Northwestern, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Children’s National Medical Center.
Funding
- Grant from Mr. and Mrs. Burridge
- Support from the Division of Gastroenterology
- Support from the Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity
Allergy/Immunology
- Mary C. Tobin, MD, Director
- Mahboobeh Mahdavinia, MD, PhD
- Susan Fox, PA-C, MMS
Gastroenterology
Clinical nutrition services
- Mary Mullen, MS, RD, LDN
- Hannah Roosevelt, MS, RD, LDN
Consultants
Nurses
- Ashley Bergamo, RN, BSN
- Megan Thomson, RN, BSN
- Lavinia Tiran, RN, BSN
Medical assistant
- Vanessa Macias, MA
Contact us
We welcome inquiries about our research, collaborations and funding. Please contact Mary Tobin.