Meet Dr. Brian Modena

Brian Modena, M.D., M.Sc., grew up in a small community in southern West Virginia. Dr. Modena and several members of his immediate family have had severe asthma their entire lives, in addition to the several atopic disorders that frequently accompany childhood-onset asthma: allergic rhinitis, food allergies, eczema, and eosinophilic esophagitis. This experience, combined with a strong desire to solve problems, has motivated and catalyzed research interest in the genetic foundations and molecular causes of asthma and atopic disease. He attended Virginia Tech for his undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering and West Virginia University for medical school. His training included Internal Medicine at Scripps Green Clinic and Hospital, specialty training in pediatric and adult allergy, asthma, and immunology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and a Master's of Science at The Scripps Research Institute's Kellogg School of Science & Technology.

He began his career at Scripps Health in 2014 before moving to National Jewish Health in 2018 as an NIH-funded researcher in the field of severe asthma. He then started his own allergy practice - Modena Allergy + Asthma in San Diego in 2022. His research experience and interests include artificial intelligence/machine learning, mRNA gene expression, genetics, the microbiome, and IoT devices to provide individualized and highly focused medical treatment. His clinical experience covers allergies (drug, environmental, and food), asthma, AERD, urticaria, dermatitis, and immune system disorders. He spends his free time exercising (hiking, running, skiing), attending summer concerts, and spending time with his wife, daughter, and dog. He is presently taking new pediatric and adult patients.

What is an allergist?

Allergies, whether to a food or to the environment or to drugs, are one of the world's most frequent complaints, and the number of people with allergies have been rising for nearly 50 years. Nearly 18 percent of all children have at least one allergy [1]. Allergists are specialty trained physicians that are experts at treating all types of allergies from itchy, skin rashes and hives to nasal allergies to asthma to allergic reactions to drugs. Allergists are also trained in diagnosing deficiencies or imbalances in the immune system. For example, allergists often do testing for problems with the immune systems that may explain why someone gets sick more often or more severely than others. If you are having allergic reactions or problems with your immune system, seeing an allergist may help you improve your health.

References: [1] https://www.bcbs.com/the-health-of-america/reports/childhood-allergies-america.

When to see an allergist

Allergists are trained to identify and treat various allergies, including nasal and eye allergies (hay fever), food allergy, eczema, hives, psoriasis, angioedema, and asthma. Allergists also regularly diagnose and treat problems or deficiencies with the immune system, such as common variable immune deficiency (CVID) or Primary immune deficiency diseases (PIDDs). People with immune deficiency may experience infections more often or more severely than others. Allergists also treat rare conditions from cells typically involved in allergic reactions. These disease include eosinophilic diseases such as eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), eosinophilic gastritis (EoG), eosinophilic enteritis (EoN) and eosinophilic colitis (EoC)), severe eosinophilic asthma, hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES), eosinophilic granulomatosis and polyangiitis (EGPA; Churg-Strauss), and eosinophilic fasciitis / cellulitis. Finally, they also treat people with rare diseases such as angioedema, including hereditary angioedema (HAE) Types 1 and 2, and patients with mast cell disorders (mastocytosis, mast cell activation syndrome). Allergists talk with their patients and administer testing to identify allergies and problems with the immune system. This is what your San Diego Allergist Dr. Brian Modena has dedicated his life to!

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You don’t have to let allergies, asthma or immune system issues dictate your life. With a specialist like Dr. Brian Modena by your side, you can get back to living your best life.

9850 Genesee Ave Suite 710, La Jolla, CA 92037

Meet Dr. Brian Modena Modena Allergy and Asthma in San Diego, CA