World Allergy Organization Center of Excellence 

The Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine has been recognized as a WAO Center of Excellence for providing excellence in education, research, and training in allergy, asthma, and clinical immunology.

Mission

The mission of the Division of Allergy and Immunology is to:

• Provide outstanding care to patients with allergic and immunologic diseases
• Train students, residents, and fellows in the specialty of allergy and immunology
• Conduct basic and clinical research in allergy, asthma, and immunology

Division History

The Division of Allergy and Immunology was established in 1972 by Professor Samuel C. Bukantz, M.D. Professor Bukantz recruited Richard F. Lockey, M.D. in 1973 as a second faculty member. In 1977 they established the Clinical Research unit and the allergist/immunologist training program for physicians.

In 1983 Dr. Lockey became the director of the Division. In 1997 the Division was endowed by Mrs. Joy McCann Culverhouse and the Joy McCann Culverhouse Airway Disease Research Center was dedicated in February 1998. George and Sandy Simmons endowed the Division. In December 2016, the Division was awarded the distinct honor of being selected as a World Allergy Organization (WAO) Center of Excellence. The Division is one of eight Centers of Excellence throughout the world.

Since it’s establishment, the Division has trained over 130 allergists/immunologists and numerous American and foreign post-graduate and graduate research scholars, many of whom are now faculty members in academic centers throughout the world.