Medical University of Lodz (Lodz, Poland)
Department of Immunology, Rheumatology and Allergy
Medical University of Lodz, Poland
Mission statement
Our mission is to provide a high quality, specialized medical care and education to patients with allergic disorders and asthma, conduct clinical and basic research and offer education in the field of allergy and immunology to medical students and medical professionals.
Staff and Services
The Department is chaired by Professor Marek L. Kowalski M.D, Ph.D., and the clinical staff includes twelve medical doctors ( allergists, pulmonologists , ENTs, dermatologists, clinical immunologists), five nurses and three technician. We provide up to 15 000 consultations per year ( 25% children). Our focus is on the diagnosis and treatment of asthma, allergic rhinitis, drug and food allergy, chronic urticarial, and hereditary angioedema. The following basic allergy/asthma diagnostic techniques are routinely used: bronchial provocations (specific and non-specific), drug and food oral provocations , airway inflammation assessment ( induced sputum , EBC and ExNO), nasal provocation and rhinofiberoscopy. Specialized therapeutic procedures used include inhaled allergen-specific and venom- specific immunotherapy and aspirin treatment after -desensitization.
Clinical units of the Department:
Allergy Clinic (Adults and Children) – Head: Wojciech Kosinski, PD, PhD
Venom Immunotherapy Unit – Head: Ewa Smorawska, MD,PhD
Severe Asthma Clinic – Head: Maciej Chałubinski, MD,PhD
Food Allergy Clinic – Head: Marcin Kurowski, MD,PhD
Drug Allergy Clinic – Head: Aleksandra Wardzynska, MD, PhD
Urticaria Care Center (UCARE)- Head : Prof. Anna Zalewska-Janowska, MD, PhD
Clinical Immunology Service – Head: Anna Sujecka, MD
The postgraduate specialization program in allergy has been granted for more than 20 years, and in clinical immunology for 5 years, with more than 30 trainees completing the training.
The department presently supports 5 fellows-in-training in allergy and 2 fellows in clinical immunology.
The following units are part of our Department, and are involved in research and patients’ care :
Allergy/Immunology Research Laboratory -Head: Malgorzata Pawelczyk, PhD
Diagnostic Immunology Laboratory- Head: Anna Pilat, PhD
HARC Biobanking Unit -Head: Marta Poplawska , PhD
Regional Bone Marrow Transplantation Center - Head: Boguslaw Tymoniuk, BSc
Research and International collaboration
We have a long record of international collaboration in research projects ( Europrevall, iFAAM, PREDICTA, MEDALL , FAST, HARC ) and vast experience in conducting clinical trials in asthma and allergy. We have been certified as Global Allergy and Asthma ( GA2LEN) Center of Excellence and Urticaria Center of Reference and Excellence ( UCARE).
Education for patients
Allergy and Asthma Patients’ Support Association is located on site, and is developing variety of patient-oriented educational activities, closely collaborating with European Center for Allergy research Foundation (ECARF).
Supporting mission of WAO
We are dedicated to support the WAO’s mission by training allergists/clinical immunologist and providing educational programs to practicing physicians, fellows, patients families and healthcare practitioners in Poland and in the whole region of Central and Eastern Europe. Annual Conference “Alergia, Astma, Immunologia” has been organized in Lodz for last 20 years, bringing every year hundreds of physicians from Poland and from the region. During 2018 conference, which will be held June 21-23, 2018, we plan to dedicate a session to WAO mission and educational activities.
