Dr. Apter joined the Section of Allergy and Immunology
in 1998. Dr. Apter is chief of the Allergy and Immunology
Section at Presbyterian Medical Center. She evaluates patients
at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Presbyterian
Medical Center for all allergy-immunology related problems
including asthma, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, adverse
drug reactions, immunodeficiencies, urticaria, and anaphylaxis.
Her research focuses on asthma the social and and social
factors that influence disease and on reducing health disparities.
Another area of research is drug allergy. Dr. Apter received
her bachelor's degree with high honors from the University
of Connecticut where she was a University Scholar, a member
of Phi Beta Kappa. She received a master's degree in mathematics
from Temple University and taught mathematics in secondary
school. She joined Penn's Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Health
Program and completed a medical degree at the University
of Pennsylvania. She served a residency in internal medicine
and a fellowship in allergy and immunology at Northwestern
University School of Medicine. After practicing general
medicine in a rural community for one year, she joined the
faculty of the University of Connecticut Health Center.
There she established the Section of Allergy and Immunology
and developed a busy clinical practice and a curriculum
for providing experience for students in allergy and immunology.
She developed an interest in clinical research related to
asthma that led to completion of a master of science degree
in clinical epidemiology from Harvard University. She currently
holds a Mentored Clinical Research Scientist Award from
the National Heart Lung & Blood Institute.
Dr. Apter is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Allergy
and Clinical Immunology, the leading journal in its field.
She recently completed a term on the FDA Pulmonary Allergy
Drug Advisory Committee and is a regular member of an NIH
study section. She was the founding Chair of the Interest
Section on Health Care Delivery and Quality of the American
Academy of Allergy and Immunology. In 2005 she will become
a Director of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology.
In 2002, she was named a Top Doc by Philadelphia Magazine.
Apter AJ, Cheng J, Small D, Albert C, Fein D, Bennett IM,
George M, Van Horne S. Asthma Numeracy Skill and Health
Literacy. J Asthma 2006; 43:705-10.
Apter AJ, Kinman JL, Bilker WB, Herlim M, Margolis DJ, Hennessy
S, Lautenbach E, Strom BL. Is There Cross-Reactivity between
Penicillins and Cephalosporins? Investigation using a Large
Electronic Medical Record Database. Am J Med.; 119(4):354.e11-9,
2006.
Apter AJ, Kinman JL, Bilker WB, Herlim M, Margolis DJ, Hennessy
S, Lautenbach E, Strom BL. Re-administration of penicillin
in patients who have had allergic-like events: examination
of a large electronic medical record. J Allergy Clin Immunol,113:764-70,
2004.
George M, Freedman TG, Norfleet AL, Feldman HI, Apter AJ.
Qualitative research allows better understanding of patients’
beliefs: results of focus groups with low-income urban African
American adults. J Allergy Clin Immunol,111:967-73, 2003.
Apter AJ, Boston RC, George M, Norfleet AL, Tenhave T, Coyne
JC, Birck K, Reisine ST, Cucchiara AJ, Feldman HI. Modifiable
Barriers to Adherence to Inhaled Steroids Among Adults with
Asthma: It’s Not Just Black and White. J Allergy Clin
Immunol, 111:1219-1226, 2003.
Strom BL, Schinnar R., Apter AJ, Margolis D, Lautenbach
E, Hennessy S, Bilker WB. Absence of Cross-Reactivity Between
Sulfonamide Antibiotics and Subsequent Sulfonamide Non-Antibiotics.
N Engl J Med,349:1628-35, 2003.
