Meetings
School in Hypersensitivity & Allergic Diseases
Co-Organized by:
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The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), the Clinical Immunology Society (CIS), and the Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) hosted the second School in Hypersensitivity and Allergic Diseases on September 6-10, 2007, at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado. The School was a great success which can be attributed to the time and effort of the faculty and fellows.
The School was co-chaired by Thomas Platts-Mills, MD PhD and Alkis Togias, MD. The faculty consisted of: Joshua Boyce, MD; Wesley Burks, MD; Matthew Fenton, PhD; David Huston, MD; Gurjit (Neeru) K. Khurana Hershey, MD PhD; and Lanny Rosenwasser, MD. Ten junior faculty and fifteen senior fellows-in-training were selected to attend the school based upon their application, CV, research project and letter of support.
The School began with an opening reception which allowed the attendees to meet and network in an informal setting. Throughout the rest of the week each attendee presented their research project and gained valuable feedback from the discussion that followed. Learning was further enhanced by dynamic faculty presentations interspersed through the week.
One of the goals for this School was to give the junior faculty and senior fellows the opportunity to network with the faculty. This was done both formally through a career planning session and informally through discussion during breaks and free time. During the career planning session the vast majority of the attendees said they received great advice from the faculty regarding their future career choices.
New to this year’s school was a session on grant writing given by NIAID representatives, Matthew Fenton and Alkis Togias. This session was overwhelmingly positive with every attending noting they found it useful and informative.
Here are just a few of the comments we received from the attendees this year.
“As faculty for each of the first two years of the HAD School, I have found the experience to be stimulating, informative, and intellectually enriching for both the faculty and the trainees. The atmosphere enables mentoring, sharing of cutting edge science, and close personal interactions and collaborations that will last a lifetime and foster careers. The domino effect is expected to enhance the future of allergy and immunology. Participation in the HAD School is a privilege and an honor.”
David P. Huston, MD; Baylor College of Medicine
“The HAD was an excellent experience and I very strongly recommend it for those interested in a career in academic allergy and immunology. The opportunity for fellows and junior faculty to interact directly and personally with world-renowned experts in A&I was unparalleled. The HAD also presented a unique opportunity to learn about basic and clinical A&I research throughout the country from individuals at various stages of career development. My time in Estes Park further reinforced my desire and commitment to become a physician-scientist.”
Manoj Warrier, MD; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
“It was an intense educational experience in an open and informal setting. The blend of senior faculty, junior faculty and fellows provided different perspectives on surviving the current challenges of academic medicine. Overall, a great school to aid in career development and meet new colleagues in the allergy community.”
Todd Wilson, DO; NIAID, NIH
“I attended the HAD School this year as a faculty member. I found it to be an excellent forum for the formal and informal exchange of ideas, cutting edge scientific data, and mentoring/career advice. It was a privilege to participate and I will strongly encourage our trainees to participate in the future. The School fills an important gap by offering a small forum to enhance exchange of ideas, networking, and career building between trainees and faculty.”
Gurjit (Neeru) K. Khurana Hershey, MD PhD; Children’s Hospital Medical Center
"The HAD School affords an incredible opportunity for fellows to meet and interact with the most respected leaders in our field in an informal and intimate environment. The program exposed me to the enormous breadth of research in the field and allowed me to learn in a casual and comfortable setting. I received invaluable feedback on my own research, one-on-one mentorship, the opportunity to network and most of all, the chance to build friendships with others in the field."
Katherine Bloom, MD; Mount Sinai Medical Center
The AAAAI, CIS, and NIAID would like to extend their appreciation to Pfizer who partially supported this one-of-kind learning experience.