Allergy and immunology is the subspecialty of internal medicine concerned with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of problems with the human immune system.

Allergists and immunologists must first complete seven or more years of medical school and postgraduate training and become board certified in Internal Medicine. Then, for an additional two years they study conditions specific to the human immune system.

They focus on treatment or research involving:

• Respiratory tract diseases (allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, asthma)
• Skin disorders (eczema, contact dermatitis, hives)
• Gastrointestinal disorders from immune responses to foods
• Adverse reactions to drugs and diagnostic testing materials
• Diseases associated with autoimmune responses, including arthritis
• Symptoms of disorders caused by immunodeficiency
• Stem cell, bone marrow and organ transplantation
• Immunogenetics

Albert Hartel, M.D.
Anatole Kleiner, M.D.