Laura M. Gober, MD
Areas of expertise: Asthma, Atopic dermatitis, Allergic rhinitis, IgE mediated food allergy, Eosinophilic esophagitis, Hives, Food protein induced enterocolitis syndrome, Drug allergy, Mast cell diseases, Other skin disorders, Venom allergy
Locations: Specialty Care & Surgery Center, Brandywine Valley
About Laura M. Gober, MD
Laura Gober, MD, has long been fascinated by the human immune system. “I think it’s remarkable that microscopic cells do so much to keep us healthy by protecting us from danger in the everyday world around us,” she says.
Dr. Gober was drawn to the field of allergy and immunology by her interest in helping patients with food allergies and eosinophilic esophagitis. “These diseases have a huge impact, not just on the patient, but on the entire family,” she says.
Luckily, great strides are being made in the treatment of these illnesses. “How these conditions develop is still a mystery to us, but so much work is being done to figure out the mystery and to better treat these patients,” Dr. Gober notes.
Interventional approaches such as oral immunotherapy for food allergies — which helps reduce patients’ sensitivity by exposing them to very small quantities of allergens under medical supervision — are exciting to Dr. Gober.
Because severe food allergies can be life-threatening, the steps patients and their families must take to avoid allergens are often extreme. Children who must avoid any exposure to allergens, which are often very common foods, can miss out on many important pursuits as a result.
“Oral immunotherapy, by raising patients’ tolerance of allergens, can have an enormous positive effect, enabling them to engage more fully in everyday life. It can dramatically improve and enrich children’s lives,” Dr. Gober says.
Dr. Gober is also enthusiastic about the promise of biologic medications for conditions such as asthma, hives, and more recently eosinophilic esophagitis. Biologic medications are derived from living organisms such as bacteria, plants or animals, which are modified to target specific molecules in humans.
Biologic medications for eosinophilic esophagitis are a cutting-edge treatment, and Dr. Gober is pleased that she works at CHOP, a center of innovation in pediatric healthcare where patients can take advantage of the very best treatment options.
But it’s also important, Dr. Gober says, that the whole CHOP team “strives to make it a place where children feel comfortable and safe.”
Titles
Attending Physician
Certifications
Allergy and Immunology – American Board of Allergy and Immunology
Awards and Honors
2022, Main Line Today Top Docs, Allergy
Education & training
Medical Degree
MD - Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, OH
Residency
University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD
Fellowship
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center, Baltimore, MD
Publications
Publications
2010
Rothenberg ME, Spergel JM, Sherrill JD, Annaiah K, Martin LJ, Cianferoni A, Gober L, Kim C, Glessner J, Frackelton E, Thomas K, Blanchard C, Liacouras C, Verma R, Aceves S, Collins MH, Brown-Whitehorn T, Putnam PE, Franciosi JP, Chiavacci RM, Grant SF, Abonia JP, Sleiman PM, Hakonarson H. Common variants at 5q22 associate with pediatric eosinophilic esophagitis. Nat Genet. 2010 Apr;42(4):289-91. Epub 2010 Mar 7.
2008
Paltiel M, Gober LM, Deng A, Mikdashi J, Alexeeva I, Saini SS, Gaspari AA. Immediate type I hypersensitivity response implicated in worsening injection site reactions to adalimumab. Arch Dermatol. 2008 Sep;144(9):1190-4.
Baker R, Vasagar K, Ohameje N, Gober L, Chen SC, Sterba PM, Saini SS. Basophil histamine release activity and disease severity in chronic idiopathic urticaria. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2008 Mar;100(3):244-9.
Eckman JA, Hamilton RG, Gober LM, Sterba PM, Saini SS. Basophil phenotypes in chronic idiopathic urticaria in relation to disease activity and autoantibodies. J Invest Dermatol. 2008 Aug;128(8):1956-63. Epub 2008 Mar 20. Erratum in: J Invest Dermatol. 2009 Jun;129(6):1590.
2007
Gober LM, Eckman JA, Sterba PM, Vasagar K, Schroeder JT, Golden DB, Saini SS. Expression of activation markers on basophils in a controlled model of anaphylaxis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007 May;119(5):1181-8. Epub 2007 Mar 1.
Vonakis BM, Vasagar K, Gibbons SP Jr, Gober L, Sterba PM, Chang H, Saini SS. Basophil FcepsilonRI histamine release parallels expression of Src-homology 2-containing inositol phosphatases in chronic idiopathic urticaria. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007 Feb;119(2):441-8. Epub 2006 Nov 27.