Category: Allergy

The UNC Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology was well represented at the North Carolina Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Society (NCAAIS) Annual Meeting, held May 16–17, 2026 in Durham, NC. The agenda included presentations by Dr. Hunter Smith, Dr. Edwin Kim and Dr. David Peden.

During Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, Dr. Maureen Petersen represented UNC Children’s on Capitol Hill, advocating for policies that improve access to allergy and asthma care. Through national partnerships and storytelling from UNC-led research, her efforts highlight the critical link between clinical innovation and health policy.

A new international perspective led by UNC School of Medicine researchers highlights that oral food challenges, historically considered essential to food allergy clinical trials, are now limiting who can participate and threatening to slow progress in food allergy research.

Elise Hickman, PhD, in the Curriculum in Toxicology & Environmental Medicine working with Dr. Megan Rebuli in Pediatric Allergy/Immunology, and Brittany Raffa, MD, Assistant Professor in General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, have been named 2026 CTSA K12 Scholars as part of the Gene Orringer Junior Faculty Career Development Program (TraCS...

Maureen Petersen, MD, Division of Allergy-Immunology, was promoted to Professor of Pediatrics effective February 1, 2026. Dr. Petersen has been a faculty member at UNC since 2024, following her career in the US Army.

Elizabeth Corteselli used an NC TraCS pilot grant to create a new model for studying lung diseases and potential treatments. Only a few medications are currently approved to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in the U.S., and these can sometimes cause significant side effects. Elizabeth Corteselli, a pediatric allergy and...

UNC School of Medicine Office of Research awards pilot funding to Moran and Kulis team for cutting-edge New Approach Methodologies research.

Maureen M. Petersen, MD, FACAAI, Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Allergy/Immunology has been inducted as Vice President of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI)

Ongoing clinical research study in US children documents the rebound of endemic respiratory viruses, builds foundation for expediting future vaccines and treatments.

Michelle Hernandez is leading asthma research in rural communities across North Carolina to make care and clinical studies more accessible.