Meet Your Newly Elected Members of the AAAAI Board of Directors

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) is pleased to introduce the candidates you have elected to the Board of Directors. The Secretary-Treasurer ascends to serve as AAAAI President, and the At-Large Directors serve 4-year terms. Their terms will begin at the Business Meeting during the 2025 AAAAI / WAO Joint Congress in San Diego, CA, USA.

Please join us in congratulating them!

Thank you to all eligible voting members who participated in the 2025 Board of Directors election. Your votes have helped shape the future of the AAAAI and the specialty.

Leonard B. Bacharier, MD, FAAAAI

Leonard B. Bacharier, MD, FAAAAI, Secretary-Treasurer

“It is an honor of a lifetime to be elected to this position and to have the great opportunity to continue to meaningfully serve the AAAAI,” Dr. Bacharier said. “I look forward to working with so many colleagues to improve all aspects of what we as allergists and immunologists do for our patients, our specialty and our communities.”

Dr. Bacharier is the Janie Robinson and John Moore Lee Chair in Pediatrics, Professor in Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Section Chief of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Scientific Director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Research and Director of the Center for Pediatric Asthma Research.

He has extensive experience in pediatric asthma research, particularly clinical trials. “I have focused my career on the study and care of asthma in childhood, particularly the roles of viral infections in asthma development, asthma phenotyping and evaluation of novel approaches to improve the care of children with asthma,” he said.

He's dedicated a great deal of time to his career but makes it a point to make time for his hobbies and family. “I am an avid sports fan and golfer, and enjoy spending time traveling with my wife, Kristen, and my three adult children - Galen, Ella and Tess.”

Amy M. Dowden, MD, FAAAAI

Amy M. Dowden, MD, FAAAAI, At-Large Director

When asked how it felt to be elected, Dr. Dowden said, “I am excited to work alongside my friends and colleagues to serve the AAAAI. I look forward to continuing to build and strengthen the organization through growth and retention as well as growing our influence in the field of medicine through collaboration and programming.”

Dr. Dowden is Professor of Medicine at the University of Iowa. She is a faculty member in the Department of Medicine, Division of Immunology and is the Program Director for the Allergy/Immunology Fellowship Program and Curriculum Director at Carver College of Medicine, with a focus on integration of social determinants of health throughout the curriculum.

Her clinical research interest is drug allergy. She’s also passionate about medical education, having participated in multiple committees including the AAAAI Program Directors Assembly Executive Committee and In-training Examination Committee, among others. She’s also served as a mentor for the AAAAI Leadership Institute.

When she’s not working, she pursues hobbies and passions that often keep her active. “Outside of the medical field I enjoy running half marathons, exploring National Parks, all things Disney, traveling (any and everywhere), cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs and shuttling my children to and from hockey,” she said.

Angela Haczku, MD, PhD, FAAAAI

Angela Haczku, MD, PhD, FAAAAI, At-Large Director

“I am deeply honored to have been elected as an At-Large Director. This is an incredible opportunity to give back to the AAAAI community, which has supported and inspired me throughout my career,” Dr. Haczku said. “I am particularly excited about working with my Board of Directors colleagues to address pressing challenges in our field, foster collaborations between clinicians and basic researchers and advance initiatives in research and education.”

Dr. Haczku is a Professor of Medicine and Director of the Lung Center. She recently completed a 6-year term as Associate Dean of Translational Research at the University of California, Davis. “My interests focus on understanding the immune regulation of airway diseases, particularly how environmental exposures, such as wildfire smoke exacerbate asthma and COPD,” she explained.

Outside of the medical field, she enjoys playing the piano, hiking and visiting with her grown children. “I’m an avid reader and listen to my audiobooks every day while running or working out. One of the perks of being an academic scientist is the opportunity to travel and meet brilliant colleagues. With my late husband we often participated in medical missions around the world. Currently I’m on a mini sabbatical visiting friends and collaborators at the Woolcock Institute in Sydney, Australia.”

Drew A. White, MD, FAAAAI

Drew A. White, MD, FAAAAI, At-Large Director

“It is a big honor to be selected for this role,” Dr. White said. “I’m personally looking forward to investing in areas that can engage with fellows and young faculty to get them more involved in the AAAAI. Being active in AAAAI has been a tremendous asset to my professional career and offered invaluable networking opportunities that I don’t want our junior members to miss out on.”

Dr. White is a Professor of Medicine at Scripps Clinic, where he’s also the head of the Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease Clinic and the Primary Investigator of the American Initiative in Mast Cell Disorders Center of Excellence.

“I started out my career studying aspirin reactivity in aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease. This gives me a lot of interest in chronic rhinosinusitis, severe asthma and drug allergies. I’ve recently been interested in how allergists can be involved in modifying the allergy alert section of the electronic health record to make this more accurate and useable.”

Outside of the medical field, Dr. White has a particular interest in travel. “My wife and I and four children have really enjoyed international travel the past few years. Highlights have been Iceland, London and Portugal. I also really enjoy mountain biking. We have some great trails in North County San Diego.”