Amal H. Assa'ad, MD

I am the current director of the Food Allergy Program within the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Cincinnati Children’s.

As a pediatric allergist, I see patients with asthma, allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis, anaphylaxis, drug and vaccine allergy, eczema, immunodeficiencies, urticaria and angioedema. I specialize in caring for children with food allergies.

My care philosophy is to see each patient as a family member. I treat the patient as my child, grandchild or sibling and answer the question, “What would I do?” I like to see patients in the context of their family and their own surroundings. I want to help the whole family cope with the medical problem at hand.

When families come to my allergy and immunology clinic at Cincinnati Children’s, they get unique expertise, cutting-edge knowledge, decades of experience and a very friendly doctor. I speak five languages and have traveled the world, which makes me familiar with and understanding of different cultures and backgrounds.

When I share a diagnosis with a family, I use clear language and speak in a way everyone can understand. I also provide follow-up care for as long as they need it. I have patients whom I have followed and kept healthy and happy from infancy through graduate school.

I was not inspired to be a provider. I was inspired to be a physician. In my country, there is no college. Students attend graduate school straight out of high school. Admission is based on one’s scores and rankings on a national high school exam. My high scores on that exam made me eligible to choose any graduate school I wanted. My final choices were engineering school, following in the footsteps of my father who was a mechanical engineer, or medical school. No one in our family was in the medical field. I gravitated to medicine because of my love for biology. I think medicine suits me because I am very observant. I like to dig deep into the etiology of things and make a diagnosis.

After my medicine/pediatric residency, I chose a fellowship in allergy and immunology. I find this to be an exciting field that addresses immune system differences. Some of these changes lead to allergic disorders, which are more common; others point to rare immunodeficiencies.

My research focuses on food allergies and eczema. I want to solve the management of this common disorder. I conducted and published many studies showing the benefits of various therapies. I’m also trying to address racial disparities in the management of food allergies and eczema. My intent is to ensure all patients receive the same quality care and advances in knowledge.

I received the Woman in Allergy Award from our two national organizations, the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology in 2005 and the American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology in 2013. Both awards highlight me as a model for women in science, allergy and immunology, and food allergy research.

My hobby is dressmaking, high fashion and designer styles. While I could have made any clothing style for my three girls when they were growing up, they only sought my talent for Halloween costumes. However, they let me make their wedding veils, which turned out really stunning.