Research Interests
Our group is interested in understanding the basis of what constitutes an ‘allergen’. We have previously focused on delineating the molecular structure of major allergenic components from dust mites, cockroach, tropical pollen and spores, fungal allergens, as well as unique components from food proteins. This includes identifying, isolating, and cloning the allergenic components; analyzing the antigenic epitopes; and evaluating cross-reactivity between related allergens. We have also explored the use of multiple types of expression systems to produce large quantities of recombinant allergens for structural, biological and immunological studies, and for use in diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases. Our current focus is to utilize these for Precision Allergology.

We are also interested in understanding the underlying basis of allergic respiratory and skin diseases. We are currently taking a genetic approach to uncover the potential pathways and interactions influencing the pathogenesis and development of these complex diseases. This includes large-scale genome wide association studies, functional candidate gene evaluations, gene-gene (epistasis) and gene-environment studies.