LASAACI - Los Angeles Society of Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology, Inc.


	LASAACI Board

HOME

MISSION

MEMBERSHIP

ANNUAL MEETINGS

MONTHLY ALLERGY/
ASTHMA INFORMATION
TOPICS

LINKS

LASAACI BOARD

LASAACI MEMBERS

CONTACT US

BOARD OFFICERS

Alan Szeftel, MD, President
Ricardo Tan, MD, Vice President
Joseph Shapiro, MD, Secretary
Catherine Fuller, MD, Treasurer

Alan Szeftel, MD President
	Dr. Szeftel received his Medical Degree from the University of Cape Town Medical School in South Africa. His clinical training was at Groote Schuur Hospital. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard University. Dr. Szeftel received specialty training in Allergy and Immunology, Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care at the UCLA Medical Center. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Diseases, Critical Care and Allergy and Immunology. Dr. Szeftel is active in the fields of Allergy and Immunology and Pulmonary Diseases at the Asthma and Allergy Center in Santa Monica, California. He is currently an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA where he supervises trainees in clinics. Residents and medical students from UCLA also rotate through his office. He is the past director of Respiratory Services as well as chairman of Latex Safety and Critical Care committees at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica. He has authored numerous articles and book chapters in his fields of interests and continues to be active in clinical research. He is the Director of Residency Training in Allergy and Clinical Immunology at UCLA. Dr. Szeftel is in private practice in Santa Monica.
Ricardo Tan, MD Vice President
	Ricardo Tan, MD, earned his medical degree from the University of the Philippines in Manila. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at the State University of New York at Buffalo Residency Consortium in Buffalo, New York. Fellowship training in Allergy and Clinical Immunology followed at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. He has published numerous articles for journals such as the Annals of Allergy and Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. He is also written several book chapters and is a co-author of Practical Allergy, a textbook for primary care physicians. Dr. Tan is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Allergy and Immunology. He is in private practice in Los Angeles and Palmdale.
Joseph Shapiro, MD Secretary
	Dr. Joseph Shapiro was born and raised in Long Beach, California. He attended college at the University of California, San Diego where he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in General Biology along with a minor in Theater. He then moved to New York where he earned his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Shapiro served his internal medicine internship and residency at the University of California, Irvine. He was a fellow of adult and pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles. During his fellowship, Dr. Shapiro spent a significant portion of his training at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. He is board certified in Adult and Pediatric Allergy & Immunology and Internal Medicine.
Catherine Fuller, MD Treasurer
	Catherine Fuller earned her medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She completed her residency in Pediatrics at UCLA. Her fellowship in allergy and immunology was completed at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. Dr. Fuller is an Assistant Clinical Instructor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She is a member of the American Academy of Allergy and Asthma, the American College of Allergy and the Joint Council of Allergy and Immunology. She is in private practice in West Los Angeles.

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENTS

Charles Song, MD
	Charles Song, MD, received his medical degree from Northwestern Medical School. He completed his residency in Pediatrics at University of Southern California+Los Angeles County Medical Center. His fellowship in allergy and immunology was at Harbor UCLA Hospital. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at Harbor UCLA and a former Chief Clinician for Adult Allergy & Immunology service at Harbor UCLA. He is also a former Chief/Program Director of Pediatric Allergy & Immunology service at Harbor-UCLA. Dr. Song has published in medical journals on various topics including food allergies, asthma, allergen injection therapy, systemic lupus, and inflammatory bowel diseases. He received the 1999 Physician of the Year Award by the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America, (AAFA) California Chapter, and was the Former Medical Director for AAFA’s Children’s Asthma Camp. Dr. Song is a Diplomate of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology. He is in private practice in Manhattan Beach.
Jacob Offenberger, MD
	Born in Israel, Dr. Offenberger decided to pursue a career in medicine after volunteering for the Israeli Red Mogen David (Red Cross) for two years while in high school. He later served as a Paratrooper Combat Medic in the Israeli Army, reaching the rank of Captain. His premedical education was received at the University of Bologna, Italy. He transferred to the University of Sackler for his formal medical education, serving his internship at Ichilov Hospital, Tel-Aviv Yaffo, Israel. Coming to America in July of 1980, Dr. Offenberger served his pediatric residency at the New Jersey Medical School at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. From 1983 to 1985 he was a fellow in the Pediatric Allergy/Immunology department at the University of California, San Francisco. He was awarded Physician of the Year in 1997 by the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America, California Chapter. Dr. Offenberger is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics and Allergy & Immunology. He is in private practice in Granada Hills and Studio City.
Joseph Dizon, MD
	Joseph Dizon, MD received his medical degree from Hahnemann University School of Medicine in 1992. He did an Internal Medicine residency at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia and a Pediatrics residency at UCLA School of Medicine. He completed his fellowship in Allergy and Immunology at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center in 1998. Dr. Dizon is Board Certified in Allergy and Immunology as well as Pediatrics. Dr. Dizon is on staff in the Allergy Clinic at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in West Los Angeles. He is actively involved in the Asthma Management Committee, the Medical Quality Improvement Committee, and the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. His area of interest includes asthma and inflammatory disease. Dr. Dizon is married to Ida. They have a daughter and enjoy traveling, hiking, and athletic events. Dr. Dizon is Chief of Allergy, Kaiser Permanente, West Los Angeles

BOARD MEMBERS

William Crawford, MD, earned his medical degree at UCLA School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine and his fellowship in Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the Wadsworth VA Medical Center. Dr. Crawford is Chief of Service, Department of Allergy & Immunology at Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center. He is also an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Dr. Crawford is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Allergy and Immunology.

Margaret Kurohara, MD, received her medical degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine and her fellowship in Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the Wadsworth VA Medical Center. She joined the Southern California Permanente Medical Group in 1991 and has served as Chief of Allergy at the Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center since 1997. She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Dr. Kurohara is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Allergy and Immunology.

LanAnh Do, MD, received her medical degree at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Subsequently, she completed residency training in the combined internal medicine and pediatric program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. After practicing primary care as an Internist and Pediatrician, she returned to complete fellowship training in allergy, asthma and immunology at Harbor UCLA and UCLA Medical Centers. She has presented and published reviews and original research on a broad range of pulmonary, asthma and allergic topics. She is currently an active clinical instructor at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Dr. Do is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and the American Board of Allergy and Immunology. Dr. Do is in private practice in Santa Monica.

Marc Riedl, MD is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from the University of Chicago-Pritzker School of Medicine, completed a residency in internal medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital of Washington University in St. Louis, and a fellowship in Clinical Immunology and Allergy at UCLA. Dr. Riedl received a Master of Science Degree in Clinical Research and completed advanced training in Clinical Pharmacology at UCLA. His professional interests include the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of allergic and immunodeficient conditions. His research currently focuses on the study of compounds to reduce respiratory inflammation caused by air pollution. Dr. Riedl is also integrally involved in the early development of several investigational drugs.

Marilyn Li, MD received her medical degree from the Alpert Medical School, Brown University. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at LAC+USC Medical Center, and served a year as Chief Resident in Internal Medicine. She trained in Allergy and Immunology at LAC+USC Medical Center where she is actively involved in teaching and research. She is a strong advocate for patient education and community outreach, and is working with the Breathmobile® program. Dr. Li is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Allergy and Immunology.

Ellyn R. Ashida, M.D. received her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at UCLA-SFV Program and a fellowship in Allergy and Immunology at UCLA School of Medicine. She did cellular immunology research after medical school in the Department of Medicine at Southwestern School of Medicine in Dallas and again in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at UCLA School of Medicine after her fellowship. She served as assistant clinical professor at Harbor UCLA and is currently in private practice in Torrance and Downtown Los Angeles.

Cathy Pollak, MPA, CHES, Administrator

Cathy has worked in the health education field for over 25 years. During that time she has coordinated, managed, and/or taught hundreds of classes for the community and healthcare professionals. Cathy has worked for several non-profit agencies including the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), California Chapter. She managed the (AAFA) asthma camp program for many years. She has written grants and proposals resulting in over a million dollars during the past several years.

Cathy received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara and received her Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a certificate in Health Services Administration from the University of Southern California. She is also a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). Cathy enjoys family and travel. She has completed 6 LA Marathons.