ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill (November 14, 2020) – Luz Fonacier, MD, of Mineola NY, was installed as president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) at the virtual ACAAI Annual Scientific Meeting on November 14. Mark Corbett, MD, Louisville KY, was elected ACAAI president-elect.
Other newly elected ACAAI officers are Kathleen May, MD, Augusta, GA, vice president and James M. Tracy, DO, Papillion, NE, treasurer. Regents elected for three-year terms include: Joseph Forester, DO, Destin, FL; Maureen Petersen, MD, Bethesda, MD; and David Stukus, MD, New Albany, OH.
Dr. Luz Fonacier is the fourth female and the first Asian American president of the ACAAI. She completed residencies in Dermatology and Internal Medicine, a fellowship in Allergy and Immunology in New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, and a fellowship in Dermal Immunology at New York University Medical Center. She will serve as chair of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology in 2021. She was a recipient of the ACAAI Women in Allergy Award, Edward J. O’Connell Lectureship, John P. McGovern Lectureship, Jean A. Chapman Memorial Lectureship, and the Presidential Award of the Asian Pacific Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. She is the first Honorary Fellow of the Philippine Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. She served as president of the Long Island Allergy Society.
Dr. Fonacier is a Professor of Medicine at NYU Long Island School of Medicine and is the Head of Allergy and Training Program Director in Allergy and Immunology in NYU Winthrop Hospital, which she started. In 2009, she became the first female Professor of Medicine in her institution. She sees children and adults with a variety of conditions, including allergies, asthma, and immunologic disorders. Because of her training in dermatology, allergy and immunology, her special interest is the dermatologic manifestations of allergic diseases. Dr. Fonacier serves on the ACAAI Board of Regents, International Committee, Foundation Board, Executive Committee, Annual Meeting Program Committee, Budget and Finance Committee and Asia and Oceania Subcommittee. She is also an Ex-Officio on the Advocacy Council.
In addition to serving as a physician and educator, Dr. Fonacier conducts research on allergic skin disease, including new medications for atopic dermatitis and difficult-to-control urticaria. Her research also focuses on patients with suspect reactions to biomedical devices, such as knee or hip replacements, cardiac stents, or dental devices.
Dr. Mark Corbett is an allergist with Family Allergy & Asthma in Louisville. A graduate of Vanderbilt University with a B.E. degree in Chemical Engineering and Math, Dr. Corbett received his medical degree from the University of Louisville. He completed a residency in Pediatrics at the University of Alabama – Birmingham, followed by a fellowship in Allergy and Immunology at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
Dr. Corbett serves on the College’s Board of Regents and was honored by the College as a Distinguished Fellow in 2018. He serves on the ACAAI Board of Regents, the Budget/Finance Committee, the Publications Committee and the Accreditation and Certification Committee. He has served as president of the Kentucky Allergy Society as well as the Greater Louisville Allergy Society.
Dr. Corbett has also been active nationally in the continuing education of Allergy/Immunology specialists. He was a member of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology (ABAI) Board of Directors from 2005-2010 and was the first private practitioner to serve as Chair for the ABAI in 2010. He also served on the Maintenance of Certification and Continuing Certification committees at the American Board of Medical Specialties.
For more information about allergies and asthma, or to find an allergist in your area, visit AllergyandAsthmaRelief.org. The ACAAI Virtual Annual Meeting is Nov. 13-15. For more news and research from the ACAAI Scientific Meeting, go to our newsroom – and follow the conversation on Twitter #ACAAI20.
About ACAAI
The ACAAI is a professional medical organization of more than 6,000 allergists-immunologists and allied health professionals, headquartered in Arlington Heights, Ill. The College fosters a culture of collaboration and congeniality in which its members work together and with others toward the common goals of patient care, education, advocacy, and research. ACAAI allergists are board-certified physicians trained to diagnose allergies and asthma, administer immunotherapy, and provide patients with the best treatment outcomes. For more information and to find relief, visit AllergyandAsthmaRelief.org. Join us on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.
