Definition of Occupation

An allergist/immunologist is a medical doctor or research scientist who specializes in the study, prevention, diagnosis, management, and treatment of allergic and immunologic diseases. The AAAAI defines an allergist/immunologist as a physician who is certified in either internal or pediatric medicine, who has completed an additional two years of training in allergy/immunology at an accredited program, and who has passed the ABAI (American Board of Allergy and Immunology) examination. These individuals are practicing physicians who examine, monitor, and treat patients with allergies, immune system disorders, autoimmune diseases, and transplant rejection.

Allergist/immunologists working as research scientists work in laboratories and conduct experiments and studies on cells, genes, and proteins. They study and analyze the immune systems reactions to foreign substances, and study disorders such as autoimmune diseases, asthma, bronchitis, food allergies, atopic dermatitis, and allergic rhinitis.

There are various branches of immunology, including classical immunology, clinical immunology, developmental immunology, diagnostic immunology, evolutionary immunology, immunotherapy, and reproductive immunology.