Meet the Board: Jennifer A. Dantzer, MD, MHS
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Jennifer A. Dantzer, MD, MHS, is focused on improving the lives of children with allergy.
“I love my job as a pediatric allergist and immunologist and am thankful for the opportunity to work closely with patients and their families both in clinic and in the research setting,” she told Healio.
As an assistant professor of pediatrics, pediatric allergy, immunology and rheumatology at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Dantzer is active in clinical research. For example, one of her previous studies examined the use of baked milk in oral immunotherapy.
Additionally, she has led studies that examined the long-term impact of peanut immunotherapy and tree nut oral food challenges, including change in patient quality of life, and the relationship between food allergy and anxiety and mental health.
In addition to her time in the pediatric clinical research unit, Dantzer is an allergist and immunologist with Johns Hopkins Pediatrics. Once a week, she sees patients from Baltimore and surrounding areas including Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.
Ranging in age from infancy to their college years, these patients visit the clinic for a variety of atopic conditions, including food, environmental and drug allergies; asthma; eczema; eosinophilic esophagitis; and hives.
“In addition to working in our outpatient clinic, I also do in-patient pediatric allergy and immunology consults 10 to 12 weeks per year,” she said. “I also spend about 1 day per week doing or supervising clinical research visits.”
Dantzer brings this background in childhood allergy research and treatment to her role as a member of the Healio Allergy/Asthma Peer Perspective Board. We spoke with her to find out more about her relationship with this field.
Healio: How did you come to pursue allergy/immunology as your specialty?
Dantzer: During my pediatric residency, I had the opportunity to do an allergy and immunology rotation and loved it. I initially thought that I wanted to do primary care, but then realized that allergy and immunology was the right career path for me because of the specific focus on problems related to the immune system.
I knew that I wanted to be in a field where I could build long-lasting relationships with patients and families, and allergy/immunology allows me to do that. It is also an exciting time in allergy research because of all the promising work that is being done, and I wanted the opportunity to participate in this cutting-edge research that will hopefully help advance the field and improve the lives of children with atopic diseases.
Allergy/immunology is an exciting and rapidly changing field that has given me the opportunity to do the things that I love — develop close relationships with patients and families, participate in cutting-edge research and collaborate with colleagues and trainees.
I honestly love my job. No 2 days are the same because of the fun combination of seeing patients, doing research and teaching.
Healio: Do you have a particular area of allergy/immunology that you enjoy the most?
Dantzer: My main focus is on food allergy. I have a particular interest in patient-centered outcomes related to food allergy treatments.
Patient-centered outcomes research focuses on understanding the perspective of the patient and their families, including preferences, decision-making and health-related quality of life, which is an important part in improving health care, shared decision-making, assessing the net benefit or value of new therapies, and future drug development.
As a fellow, along with my mentor, I started a clinical trial using baked milk oral immunotherapy for children with severe milk allergy. Milk allergy is one food allergen that can really impact the lifestyle of the patient and the family. That trial is now in the follow-up period, and I love hearing from patients about how this study has given them the opportunity to try new foods and, more importantly, worry less about an allergic reaction.
We also have fellows and residents who work with us in the clinic, and a fun part of my job is teaching them.
Healio: What challenges do you face regularly in practice that keep you up at night?
Dantzer: I am bothered by the lack of a cure for most of our allergic diseases. I also hate telling some parents that there are no currently available treatment options for their child with food allergies.
However, I am optimistic that treatment options will be available in the near future. Johns Hopkins is part of numerous clinical trials related to food allergy. This gives us the opportunity to see firsthand what treatments are being investigated and the results in our patients. Unfortunately, there is not a cure in sight, but I do think that we will have additional treatment options soon.
Healio: What do you like to do outside of clinical practice?
Dantzer: I have two little boys who keep my husband and me busy. We enjoy spending time at the park and going for runs.
Healio: What would you say has been the most exciting development in allergy and asthma treatment over the last decade?
Dantzer: I’m going to pick two exciting things. The first is the explosion of biologics that are now available for allergic conditions. Many are in trials for additional indications or age groups. In practice, I use biologics primarily for asthma, eczema and urticaria, and most people have a very good response.
Second is the recognition of the potential benefit of early allergen introduction to prevent food allergies. These studies truly changed the field. I definitely recommend early allergen introduction. Many families are already familiar with these guidelines, and others hear about it for the first time in clinic.
Healio: What advances are you most looking forward to over the next 10 years?
Dantzer: It is a really exciting time in food allergy research, and I believe that we are entering a new era of food allergy management. There are numerous treatment options in clinic trials, and I hope we will have several options in the next 10 years. For example:
- oral immunotherapy, which involves eating gradually increasing amounts of the allergen to induce tolerance or eating the food without a reaction;
- epicutaneous immunotherapy, such as the peanut patch;
- sublingual immunotherapy via drops;
- use of anti-IgE drugs, which block the IgE allergy antibody and are being studied as a treatment option for food allergy; Because this type of therapy would not be food-specific, it would be good for patients with multiple food allergies;
- combinations of therapies, such as OIT and a biologic or OIT and probiotics.
For more information:
Jennifer A. Dantzer, MD, MHS, can be reached at jwrubel1@jhmi.edu.