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Immunologists: The Career Path and Training of These Professionals



Pediatric allergists/immunologists treat children from birth through the teenage years. Their choice to specialize in pediatric allergy and immunology equips them to provide the most experience in dealing with the unique medical needs of children who have allergies and immune system problems.


Pediatric allergists/immunologists diagnose allergic conditions by using special testing. Newer forms of these tests may be almost painless. Treatment may combine avoiding things that cause symptoms, immunotherapy (allergy shots), or medication. Tests and effective treatments also are available for various causes of a weakened immune system.




immunologists




Pediatric allergists/immunologists know how to examine and treat children in a way that helps them relax and cooperate. Their goal is to identify the causes of these disorders in your child, and to offer ways to decrease symptoms so that your child can live a healthier life.


"Immunologists study the immune system," says Dr. Shirley W. Pang, a rheumatologist with St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, California. These individuals may go on to become scientists, conducting research into the immune system and how it works. But there are also "clinical immunologists, the MDs who treat patients with various conditions, such as asthma, allergies and disorders of the immune system," which are referred to as immunodeficiencies.


Also sometimes called allergists, immunologists, "diagnose, treat and manage various immunological conditions including allergies, asthma and immunodeficiency diseases, says Dr. Simranjit Singh, a rheumatologist at Mission Hospital in Orange County, California.


In some cases, rheumatologists and immunologists work closely together to help a patient with specific issues, particularly "for more complicated cases" that are resistant to treatments or are more severe, Pang says. "Also, our autoimmune patients tend to be predisposed to allergies, asthma and eczema, so oftentimes are referred to allergists and immunologists for a work up for this, as well as treatment," she adds.


"Originally rheumatologists were focused on musculoskeletal conditions," such as osteoarthritis. "But the more we learn about the causes of these diseases, the more we've learned that's an immune angle. So, rheumatologists became a lot more like immunologists in that case." And as science learns more about the causes of some of these diseases, "the overlap between the two specialties is growing more and more," Kumar says.


"We're learning that a lot of the disorders that we've classically called autoimmune disorders because the immune system is overactive are associated with very subtle other immune derangements that allergists and immunologists have been seeing. So now there's a lot more cooperation between the two specialists to identify and manage these people," who may be experiencing a wide range of symptoms related to both rheumatological and immune disorders.


In particular, the overlap between the immunologists and rheumatologists can be helpful "when it comes to finding a balance in the immune system," Singh says. "Oftentimes, patients can have multiple conditions going on, and different medications used by the two specialties are sometimes needed to find a balance."


The overall aim of this group is to connect young immunologists throughout Germany. We provide networking opportunities and tackle common problems which many young researchers face such as non-permanent contracts, dealing with publication/time pressure, integrating family plans and obtaining a healthy work-life-balance.


To mark the occasion of our first offline meeting in three years, the KAI 2022 offers a great scientific program featuring four plenary lectures and 17 symposiums. Plenary speakers are Drs. Steffen Jung, Daniel Cua, Donna Farber, and a KAI-Genexine Awardee (to be selected), and symposium speakers include over 70 immunologists from 12 countries. In addition, Young Immunologist Sessions have been organized to share the research achievements of next-generation immunologists including graduate students and postdoctoral trainees.


The immunologists, led by Dr Nigel Stevenson, Assistant Professor in Viral Immunology at Trinity, have discovered how SARS and MERS proteins block the induction of antiviral proteins, which prevents us from mounting a strong innate immune response against infection.


Scientific Research: One of the most important aspects of immunology is research. Because many immunologists research and analyze the immune system, new findings and treatments can be discovered for persistent illnesses. Immunologists in this branch of immunology work in laboratories that enable them to study and test interactions of chemicals, cells and genes in the body to better understand what is necessary for an immune system to function properly.


College Teaching and Research: Many immunologists find their place teaching as opposed to practicing. While this branch of immunology still provides a strong participation in research, it requires a personality suited to instructing as well as guiding.


A smaller number of immunologists are researchers with advanced degrees (they are not doctors), who conduct research to increase our understanding of how the immune system works, and to develop better ways of diagnosing and providing treatment for many immunological conditions.


Immunologists employed within the veterinary sciences, as veterinary immunologists, research better ways of improving animal healthcare by preventing disease, and by providing treatment for those animals suffering from infections and other immunological conditions.


Research immunologists employed by universities work in life science departments or divisions conducting research. They can also work as lecturers, teaching students about immunology while still conducting their own research.


Most immunologists have a dual role as both a pathologist in the laboratory and a clinician. Some work primarily as academics pursuing research careers, while others may be scientists who do not see patients directly. In most NHS services, the responsibilities of laboratory leadership and direction, supervision, quality management, clinical interpretation and clinical liaison rest with the immunologist.


Clinical immunologists are doctors who specialise in diagnosing and treating patients with inherited or acquired failures of the immune systems that lead to infections and autoimmune complications (immunodeficiency disorders) and autoimmune diseases and vasculitis where the body harms itself. They also specialise in auto inflammatory diseases (where people cannot control inflammation) and allergic diseases (like anaphylaxis, where an abnormal immune response to an innocuous substance or food can kill).


Flow cytometry is a technique commonly used by immunologists to analyse a range of properties of individual cells based on the presence of a specific protein either on the cell surface or within the cell.


Over the years, Dr. Kronenberg has received many major awards, including a prestigious Merit Award for scientific achievement from the National Institutes of Health, the Distinguished Service Award by the American Association of Immunologists. He has also been a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Visiting Professor at Harvard University, delivered the Joseph S. Ingraham immunology lecture at the Indiana University School of Medicine and has been elected a fellow of the American Associations for the Advancement of Science as well as most admired CEO by the San Diego Business Journal. He is also one of the most highly cited immunologists in the world, a distinction held by less than half of one percent of all publishing scientific authors. 2ff7e9595c


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