Allergy + Immunology

Treating asthma and other allergic diseases.

Services

The Division of Allergy and Immunology provides clinical consultative allergy and immunology services at St. Paul's Hospital and in the community. The Division also provide an outreach clinic in Haida Gwaii and telemedicine services to northern and interior British Columbia. The Division is involved in several major initiatives:

  • The Primary Immunodeficiency Transition Clinic led by Dr. Catherine Biggs and Dr. Persia Pourshahnazari. The clinic provides advanced diagnostic tests including exploring the genetic origins of many immune diseases and provides team-based care for patients previously followed at BC Children’s Hospital and for patients with newly-diagnosed disease.
  • St. Paul’s Hospital is at the forefront of providing home subcutaneous immunoglobulin therapy (SCIG) as well as maintaining our intravenous immunoglobulin therapy (IVIG) for patients with primary immunodeficiency.
  • Dr. Raymond Mak in collaboration with the Division of Dermatology has established the Med Safe Clinic, a unique interdisciplinary adverse drug reactions clinic with a focus on severe cutaneous adverse reactions. This clinic combines translational research with clinical care.
  • Dr. Juan Ruiz has collaborated with the otolaryngologists at St. Paul’s Hospital to develop the first Aspirin Desensitization Clinic in British Columbia at St. Paul’s Hospital to treat people with nasal polyps and aspirin exacerbated asthma. 
  • In conjunction with the Providence Health Care Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, our Division has a successful program of systematically de-labeling penicillin allergy in hospitalized patients.

The physicians in our Division also provide consultation services for allergy and immunology disorders at their community clinics in Vancouver and Surrey including:

  • Anaphylaxis syndromes
  • Environmental allergy
  • Asthma
  • Drug allergy
  • Vaccine allergy
  • Food allergy
  • Latex allergy
  • Urticaria and angioedema (hives and swelling)
  • Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
  • Severe allergic reactions
  • Insect sting allergy
  • Eosinophilic esophagitis
  • Primary immunodeficiency
  • Hereditary angioedem

Teaching

All members of the Division are involved in providing clinical teaching in allergy and immunology at all levels. We are the principal teaching centre for the University of British Columbia’s Allergy and Clinical Immunology fellowship program. Our physicians have be involved with major initiatives in patient education, CME programs for physicians, and elective rotations for residents and medical students.

 

Research

The members at St. Paul's Hospital have a major interest in the management of primary immune deficiency, hereditary angioedema, severe adverse drug reactions and complex allergic conditions. The Division members have initiated a number of research projects as well as interactions with the lay organizations, Canadian Immune Deficiency Patient Organization, HAE Canada and the Jeffrey Modell Foundation.

Division Members:

  • Dr. Amin Kanani – Clinical Associate Professor – Division Head
  • Dr. Catherine Biggs – Clinical Assistant Professor
  • Dr. Irene Chair – Clinical Instructor
  • Dr. Godfrey Lam – Clinical Instructor
  • Dr. Raymond Mak – Clinical Instructor
  • Dr. Persia Pourshahnazari – Clinical Instructor
  • Dr. Kateryna Vostretsova – Clinical Instructor
  • Dr. Juan Ruiz – Clinical Instructor

Outpatient Programs + Clinics

For a list of our outpatient programs and clinics click here.

Careers

For more information about working at Providence Health Care and for current employment opportunities, please visit our Careers site.

Contact + Location

Division of Allergy and Immunology
8B - 8th floor Providence Building, 
1081 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6
Phone: 604-806-8818
Fax: 604-806-8839