Overview

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Allergy and Immunology Fellowship is a three-year program designed to prepare pediatricians for careers in academic pediatric allergy and immunology. The first year is dedicated to clinical training. The second and third years emphasize research training in either the clinical or basic sciences.

Although there are separate programs for trainees who have completed pediatric or internal medicine/pediatrics residency through CHOP and those who have completed internal medicine or internal medicine/pediatrics residency through the Hospital of the University (HUP) of Pennsylvania, our programs work collaboratively to provide comprehensive clinical training and exposure to adult and pediatric patients.

During the clinical rotations, fellows work with our group of standing and accomplished faculty, including 19 attending allergists and seven attending immunologists. Many of these faculty members are thought leaders in the field of allergy and immunology. 

Our allergy program, WAO Center of Excellence, boasts particular strengths with clinical and research programs in food allergy (IgE mediated, FPIES, and eosinophilic GI disease), atopic dermatitis and asthma. We run the largest food challenge program in the country, and have a dedicated staff of nutritionists to assist in the management of these patients. Fellows are encouraged to participate in our multidisciplinary clinics including an allergy-integrative medicine clinic, a FPIES-focused clinic with GI and nutrition, an eosinophilic esophagitis-focused clinic with GI and nutrition, a joint allergy-pulmonology clinic for severe asthmatics, and a joint allergy, immunology dermatology clinic for patients with severe eczema.

Our Immunology Program, a Modell Center of Excellence, has clinical and research programs in 22q deletion syndrome, humoral immunodeficiencies, severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), Wiskott Aldrich syndrome (WAS), disorders of immune dysregulation, immune deficiencies associated with elevations in IgE, immune disorders associated with very early onset inflammatory bowel disease (VEO-IBD), and immune reconstitution following stem cell transplant for primary immunodeficiency. Fellows are encouraged to participate in our multidisciplinary clinics, including a joint GI-immunology clinic for patients with VEO-IBD, a collaborative clinic with cardiology to assess immune function in patients after Fontan for single ventricle cardiac disease, and a joint bone marrow transplant/immunology clinic.  

Our program emphasizes the clinical experience in the first year to allow for protected research time in the later two years of the program. Fellows are expected to select a research project and mentor that meet their interests and career goals. In addition, fellows are encouraged to identify a career mentor to help them shape their experience during the second and third years to best position themselves for success in seeking the position of their choice after graduation from the CHOP Allergy and Immunology Fellowship Program.

Overall, strengths of the CHOP fellowship program include a balanced clinical training in both allergy and immunology, a strong scientific tradition, and a track record of producing academic faculty.

In addition, our fellows are strongly encouraged to have an active role in national organizations, including American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) and Clinical Immunology Society (CIS). Fellows are provided protected time to attend AAAAI and ACAAI in all three years of training, and are encouraged to submit case reports and research abstracts. Travel grants are also often available to support fellows to attend the conferences.

The history, expertise and compassion that make Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia unique are also what makes it the best place for medical trainees.

Clinical training information by fellowship years

First year

Throughout the first year, fellows will rotate through various clinical settings at CHOP, including allergy and immunology continuity clinics, outpatient subspecialty and multi-disciplinary clinics, food challenges, drug challenges, allergen immunotherapy, oral immunotherapy, and inpatient/consultation care.   First year fellows will also spend 8 weeks throughout the year at Penn for adult allergy and immunology training.  In additional to clinical training, first-year experiences will include exposure to clinical immunology laboratory testing, pulmonary function testing, and clinical research. While on inpatient service weeks, fellows will care for patients admitted to the Allergy/Immunology service and see Allergy/Immunology consult patients (approximate 2-16 patients a week). Fellows will not have any outpatient clinic responsibilities during inpatient weeks.  First-year fellows not on inpatient weeks will also take turns covering SCID newborn screening calls. 

Typical first- year experience:

• 23 weeks outpatient Pediatric Allergy & Immunology at CHOP
• 8 weeks inpatient/consult Pediatric Allergy & Immunology at CHOP
• 8 weeks outpatient Adult Allergy & Immunology at Penn
• 2 weeks outpatient Pediatric Allergy & Immunology at CHOP satellite clinics
• 2 weeks Clinical Research experiences at CHOP
• 2 weeks inpatient BMT at CHOP
• 2 weeks inpatient/outpatient DIRT (immune dysregulation team) at CHOP
• 4 weeks vacation
• 1 week national conference attendance at ACAAI 

Second year

During the second year, fellows spend about 15% of the year in clinical care rotations.  The remainder of the year is protected for research and scholarly activities or enhanced clinical experiences.  All second-year fellows will continue to have a half-day continuity clinic (alternating weeks for Allergy and Immunology) during most of the year, when they are not assigned to inpatient or Penn weeks.  Up to 2 second year fellows will have the option of pursuing the enhanced clinical pathway (ECP), which will allow them to obtain additional clinical training through outpatient Allergy and Immunology clinics at CHOP.  ECP fellows will also be required to engage in educational and community outreach activities as well as scholarly activities as fitting for their career interests.  Fellows not pursuing ECP will be given protected time to allow for completion of robust research projects and mentorship to help launch physician-scientist careers. 

Typical second-year experience:

• 41 weeks research or ECP 
• 5 weeks inpatient Pediatric Allergy & Immunology at CHOP
• 2 weeks outpatient Adult Allergy & Immunology at Penn
• 4 weeks vacation

Third year

During the third year, fellows spend approximately 10-15% of their time in clinical responsibilities.  This includes 6-8 weeks of inpatient service time as a junior attending, when fellows have the opportunity to lead the inpatient/consult Allergy and Immunology services under the supervision of a senior attending. Third year fellows continue to have continuity clinics one half day each week (alternating Allergy and Immunology) when not on inpatient/consult service.  The majority of third year is protected for ongoing research and scholarly work, and for the ECP fellows, ongoing enhanced clinical training. 

Conference schedules

Weekly

Fellows in all three years of training are expected to attend once a week didactic sessions in pediatric allergy, pediatric immunology, a text-based basic immunology review, and adult allergy/immunology. In addition, during the CHOP outpatient weeks in first year and as their schedule allows in second and third year, fellows are encouraged to attend CHOP Grand Rounds, the Immunology Colloquium, and CHOP Disregulated Immune Response Team (DIRT) Clinical Conference.

• CHOP Pediatric Allergy Conference
• CHOP Pediatric Immunology Conference
• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) Adult Allergy-Immunology Conference
• CHOP/HUP Text-Based Basic Science Immunology Review Course
• Immunology Colloquium
• DIRT Clinical Conference
• CHOP Grand Rounds

Monthly

The following educational opportunities are held on a monthly basis. Fellows in all three years of training are expected to attend.

• Joint Bone Marrow Transplant-Immunology Clinical Conference
• Fellows Association Meetings
• Fellows Quality Improvement Project Meetings

Quarterly

• Half Day Allergy-Immunology Topic Themed Symposia

Research expectations and opportunities

The fellow is guided through research training by the program director, together with a panel of faculty.

Although research is not typically started in earnest until the second year, first-year fellows investigate the plethora of research opportunities during the first six months of the training program. There are basic science, translational and clinical research opportunities in Allergy and Immunology.  

It is expected that by mid-way through the first year, the fellow will identify a mentor, laboratory and project under the guidance of the faculty research panel. Appropriate mentors may be selected from any school within the University of Pennsylvania or the Wistar Institute. The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine has an outstanding Immunology Graduate Group that can provide consultation, collaboration and mentorship of the fellow's project.

A project is approved by the scholarship oversight committee and the fellow's progress is reviewed twice a year as part of the clinical competency committee meetings. In addition, fellows are expected to present their research to the division faculty at the quarterly Symposia.

Fellowship funding is guaranteed in the second and third years. Competitive grant awards are encouraged through multiple T32 opportunities at CHOP, Professional Association (AAAAI, CIS, PIDTC) grants and private foundation grants

Fellows are also eligible for additional training through a variety of master’s degree programs offered through the University of Pennsylvania.

Past and current fellows

Current fellows

First year fellows:
Kevin Ackerman, MD, PhD
Jasmyn Atalla, MD
Priscila Cunha, MD
Layla Samandi, MD

Second year fellows:
Alexandra Grier, MD, PhD
Latoya Jeanpierre, MD
Samantha Leong, MD, PhD
Colleen Shannon, MD

Third year fellows:
Talia Arceri, MD
Alex Navard-Keck, MD
Maria Sacta, MD, PhD

Recent alumni and post-fellowship career plans, by graduation year

2024

• Nouf Alsaati, MD (Texas Children’s – Houston, TX)
• Stan Gabryszewski, MD PhD (CHOP – Philadelphia, PA)
• Whitney Reid, MD (CHOP – Philadelphia, PA)
• Nicole Wolfset, MD (Private Practice – Philadelphia, PA)

2023

• Kim Nguyen, MD (CHOP - Philadelphia, PA)

2022

• Amandeep Sandhu, MD (Private Practice – Marlton, NJ)
• Paulina Tran, MD (Kaiser Permanente – California)

2021

• Joseph Cafone, MD (Janssen – New Jersey)
• Di (Sandy) Sun, MD (CHOP – Philadelphia, PA)

2020

• Peter Capucilli, MD (Rochester Regional Health – Rochester, NY)
• Katie Kennedy, MD (CHOP - Philadelphia, PA)

2019

• Danielle Arnold, MD (NIH Intramural Research – Bethesda, MD)
• Kathleen Wang, MD (University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, NC)

2018

• David Hill, MD, PhD (CHOP – Philadelphia, PA)

2017

• Sarah Henrickson, MD, PhD (CHOP – Philadelphia, PA)
• Juhee Lee, MD (CHOP – Philadelphia, PA)
• Melanie Ruffner, MD (CHOP – Philadelphia, PA)

2016

• Malika Gupta, MD (Mount Sinai – New York, NY)
• Tina Sindher, MD (Stanford – Palo Alto, California)

2015

• Megan Morshiemer, MD, MPH (NIH – Bethesda, MD)
• Gita Ram, MD (CHOP – Philadelphia, PA)

2014

• Solrun Melkorka Maggadottir, MD (University of Olso – Norway)

2013

• Irene Fung, MD (Clinical Practice - Canada)
• Jackie Garrett, MD (Agape Allergy & Immunology Associates – West Springfield, MA)
• Mike Keller, MD, PhD (Children’s National Medical Center – Washington, DC)

2012

• Hillary Hernandez-Trujillo, MD (Connecticut Children’s – Hartford, CT)

How to apply

The three-year fellowship seeks physicians currently enrolled in or who have completed an accredited pediatrics or internal-medicine/pediatrics residency program. 

Fellows must be able to pass the American Board of Pediatrics and/or American Board of Internal Medicine certifying examination in order to be eligible for board certification in Allergy/Immunology at the end of the fellowship training.

You should apply through the Electronic Residency Application Service by going to http://www.aamc.org/eras.

It is recommended that all applicants provide at least three letters of recommendation and that at least one of these letters is from an individual involved in the field of allergy and immunology.

A joint American Board of Pediatrics/American Board of Allergy and Immunology Accelerated Research Pathway (ARP) is available. Plans to participate in the ARP must be discussed with the Pediatrics Training Program director and the Allergy/Immunology Training Program director during the first year of General Pediatrics Residency training to allow time for the application process.

Benefits

Fellows are salaried based on the established scale set by CHOP Graduate Medical Education.

All Fellows receive four weeks of vacation in addition to protected time for conference attendance.

All fellows are given a book and travel stipend to assist with needed supplies and/or cost of travel to academic conferences.

CHOP participates in a number of wellness programs to assist fellows and other employees. In addition, we encourage fellows to be self-aware of their need for sleep and periods of rest in keeping with ACGME duty hours regulations.

Moonlighting opportunities are available; they are approved through the program director on a case-by-case basis.

Fellowship contacts

Fellowship Training Program Director
Jennifer Heimall, MD
Phone: 215-590-2549
Email: heimallj@chop.edu

Fellowship Training Co-Associate Program Director
Juhee Lee, MD
Phone: 215-590-2549
Email: leej5@chop.edu

Fellowship Training Co-Associate Program Director
Katie Kennedy, MD
Phone: 215-590-2549
Email: kennedyk3@chop.edu

Fellows are encouraged to meet with the fellowship program director as needed to discuss clinical, research and personal concerns. In addition, scheduled reviews of the fellow’s progress are held three times a year with the Program Director: in September and then January and June following assessment of the fellows by the Clinical Competency Committee.

Fellowship Training Program Coordinator
Robin Cassidy
Phone: 215-590-2549
Email: cassidy@chop.edu

Other requirements

To carry out its mission, it is of critical importance for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to keep our patients, families and workforce safe and healthy and to support the health of our global community. In keeping with this, CHOP has mandated all workforce members (including trainees) on site at any CHOP location for any portion of their time be vaccinated for COVID-19 as a condition of employment.

This mandate also applies to workforce members or trainees performing work for CHOP at non-CHOP locations. Additionally, all workforce members based in or regularly scheduled to work at any New Jersey location are mandated to be both vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19, with booster timing consistent with applicable guidelines. The CHOP COVID-19 vaccine mandate is in alignment with applicable local, state and federal mandates. CHOP also requires all workforce members and trainees who work in patient care buildings or who provide patient care to receive an annual influenza vaccine. Employees may request exemption consideration for CHOP vaccine requirements for valid religious and medical reasons. Please note start dates may be delayed until candidates are fully immunized or valid exemption requests are reviewed. In addition, candidates other than those in positions with regularly scheduled hours in New Jersey, must attest to not using tobacco products.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected category. CHOP is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor seeking priority referrals for protected veterans.

CHOP is committed to building an inclusive culture where employees feel a sense of belonging, connection, and community within their workplace. We are a team dedicated to fostering an environment that allows for all to be their authentic selves. We are focused on attracting, cultivating, and retaining diverse talent who can help us deliver on our mission to be a world leader in the advancement of healthcare for children.

We strongly encourage all candidates of diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.