Pulmonary Medicine and Allergy

PULMONARY, ALLERGY, AND IMMUMOLOGY SECTION

Maria Alvarez, MD
Section Chair
Department of Pediatrics
School of Medicine
University of Puerto Rico
Tel – 787-756-4020

email: maria.alvarez4@upr.edu

RESEARCH

The division is committed to participating in research regarding pulmonary, allergy, and immunology conditions, especially on those issues regarding Hispanics and Puerto Ricans in particular.  Liaisons have been establish with the Department of Hematology Oncology at the Pediatric University Hospital, the Behavioral Science Research Institute at the University of Puerto Rico, as well as several NIH grants in collaboration with Brown University, Harvard and the University of Cincinnati.

Dr. Colon Semidey is Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Department of Pediatrics of the University Of Puerto Rico School Of Medicine.  Dr. Colon was Co-investigator at the New Mexico site for the Childhood Asthma Management Group, an NIH Grant examining if using inhaled steroids in children with asthma improved lung growth and to determine the long term effects of this type of medication on height, as well as other reported complications associated with their use.  Dr. Colon has collaborated with the Behavioral Science Research Institute in several NIH Grants to examine health disparities in relation to asthma care.  He was co investigator for the Puerto Rico site in the NIH supported grant examining Genes, Home Allergens and Asthma in Puerto Rican Children in collaboration with Dr. Celedon at Harvard University.

Dr. Alvarez is Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Department of Pediatrics of the University Of Puerto Rico School Of Medicine. She has collaborated with the Behavioral Science Research Institute in several NIH Grants to examine health disparities in relation to asthma care.  Dr. Alvarez was co investigator for the Puerto Rico site in the NIH supported grant examining Genes, Home Allergens and Asthma in Puerto Rican Children in collaboration with Dr. Celedon at Harvard University.  Currently Dr. Alvarez is collaborating with the Hematology Division and Dr. Susan Pacheco at UT Houston University to examine the high incidence of combine immune deficiencies in the Puerto Rican newborns.

Publications

1. Rodriguez JF, Cordero J, Chantry C, Gonzalez S, Rivera C, Febo I, Colon A, Diaz C.  Plasma gluthatione concentrations in children infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Pediatr Infect Dis J, 1998;17:236-41.
2. A, Shapiro G, Sternberg AL for CAMP Research Group (Colon-Semidey AJ Co-investigator for New Mexico site).  The prevalence of enviromental exposure to perceived asthma triggers in children with mild-to-moderate asthma: data from the Childhood Asthma Managemnet Program (CAMP). J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001 Apr;107(4):634-40.
3. Weiss ST, Van Natta ML, Zeiger RS for CAMP Research Group (Colon-Semidey AJ Co-investigator for New Mexico site).  Relationship between airway responsiveness and asthma severity in the childhood asthma management program. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2000 Jul;162(1):50-6
4. Colon-Semidey AJ, Raissy HH, Marshik P,Crowley M, Kelly HW. Comparison between equipotent doses of inhaled steroids and non-invasive markers of disease severity in children with asthma.  Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2000;161(3);A37.
5. Colon-Semidey AJ, Marshik P,Crowley M, Katz R, Kelly HW.  Correlation between reversibility of airway obstruction and exhaled nitric oxide levels in children with stable bronchial asthma. Pediatr Pulmonol 2000:30:385-392.
6. Zeiger RS, Dawson C, Weiss S for CAMP Research Group (Colon-Semidey AJ Co-investigator for New Mexico site).  Relationships between duration of asthma and asthma severity among children in the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP).  J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999; 103:376-87.
7. Colon-Semidey AJ, Marshik P,Crowley M, Katz R, Kelly HW.  Relationship between airway reversibility and exhaled nitric oxide in stable asthmatic children.  Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1999;159(3):A910
8. Koinis-Mitchell D, McQuaid E, Friedman D,  Colon A, et.al.  Latino caregivers’ beliefs about asthma:  causes, symptoms, and practices.  J of Asthma45:205-210. 2008
9. Canino G, McQuaid EL, Alvarez M, Colon A, Esteban  C, Febo V, Klein RB, Mitchell DK, Koper SJ, Montealegre F, et al. Issues and methods in disparities research:  The Rhode Island – Puerto Rico Asthma Center. Pediatr Pulmonol  2009;44:899-908.
10. Esteban CA, Klein RB, McQuaid EL, Fritz GK, Seifer R, Kopel SJ, Santana JR, Colon A, Alvarez M, Koinis-Mitchell D, et al.  Conundrums in childhood asthma severity, control, and health care use:  Puerto Rico vs Rhode Island. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2009;124:238-244. e235.
11. Fritz GK, McQuiad EL, Kopel M, Seifer R, Klein RB, Koinis Mitchell D, Esteban C, Rodriguez-Santana J, Colon A, Alvarez M, Canino G.  Ethnic Differences in Perception of lung function:  A factor in Pediatric Asthma Disparities.  in press Am J Respir and Crit Care Med