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Meet the Current Board of Directors Members

As you consider the candidates for this year’s Board of Directors election, we invite you to learn more about some of the At Large Board of Directors members you have already elected.
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Denise A. DiPrimio-Kalman, DO, FAAAAI
Denise A. DiPrimio-Kalman, DO, FAAAAI, is an attending physician and clinical educator at Nemours Children’s Health in Wilmington, Delaware, where she provides direct patient care and works with FITS, residents and medical students. She also serves as Clerkship Director for Medical Students and Residents.
“Currently, I am most interested in outpatient management of asthma in school age children and addressing food insecurity in food allergic pediatric patients,” she said when asked about her current area of focus.
She engages with the A/I community in a number of ways, including participating in monthly conference calls of the RSL Governors, which allows her to hear concerns of AAAAI members. “I also serve as Vice Chair of the Leadership Institute Steering Committee,” she said. “I enjoy working with the Workgroup Leaders within the Mentorship Program and the Leadership Institute Course Co-Directors as they develop content for the Annual Meeting. One of my favorite ways to engage with the national AAAAI community is to attend the Annual Meetings.”
She also enjoys engaging with her local AAAAI community at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Allergy and Asthma Association in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Outside of medicine she likes spending time with her family and friends - and cheering for the Philadelphia sports teams!
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Cem Akin, MD, PhD, FAAAAI
Cem Akin, MD, PhD, FAAAAI, is a Professor of Internal Medicine and an Attending Physician in the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the University of Michigan. “I am interested in mastocytosis, the role of mast cells in health and disease and anaphylaxis,” he said. “My clinical and research interests have focused on molecular and cellular pathogenesis and novel treatments for these disorders.”

Art, music and cooking are his favorite ways to relax and self-reflect. “When possible, I try to make time to visit an art venue I haven’t seen before during each of my trips. I also love to spend time with my family, and when I travel, I look forward to meeting new and old friends and collaborators and learn from their experiences.”
He especially enjoys reconnecting with colleagues at AAAAI events. “I look forward to our Annual Meeting, and especially the AAAAI Foundation events to interact with the community, support the next generation of allergists and learn the latest from thought leaders,” he said. “Away from in-person events, being on the Board provides a unique opportunity to keep my finger on the pulse of the specialty and have a positive impact on current issues affecting our physician and patient communities.”
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Anna H. Nowak-Wegrzyn, MD, PhD, FAAAAI
Anna H. Nowak-Wegrzyn, MD, PhD, FAAAAI, is a Professor of Pediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Director of the Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital, NYU Langone Health. For much of her career, her primary area of interest has been food allergy, anaphylaxis and atopic dermatitis.
“I am active in the Food Allergy & Eosinophilic Disorders Interest Section committees and continue to work with my colleagues on a number of projects relating to nutrition in food allergic children, baked milk and egg diets, emergency treatment plans for FPIES and EoE,” she said. “We are also gearing towards an update of the 2017 FPIES guidelines.”
Besides her committee work and research collaborations, she enjoys mentoring junior colleagues and helping others develop their leadership skills. “I am currently a mentor for two junior colleagues in the AAAAI Leadership Institute and have enjoyed organizing the annual Leadership Course in the past.”
Away from medicine, her free time has lately been taken up by endless home improvement projects. “But beyond that, I love music, traveling to remote destinations with my husband and son, hiking, skiing and my two dogs!”
Read more Board Member profiles in previous issues of Impact.