Asthma and allergic diseases such as hay fever (allergic rhinitis), food allergy, and eczema (atopic dermatitis) are common conditions for all ages in the United States.

In 1971, NIAID established the Asthma and Allergic Diseases Centers, the first targeted program to promote research in the fields of asthma and allergic diseases. Initially, seven centers were funded. Today there are 11, known collectively as the Asthma and Allergic Diseases Cooperative Research Centers (AADCRCs).

The Division of Experimental Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco was established to diagnose, prevent, and treat chronic infectious disease of global importance. Through a multidisciplinary and collaborative research approach, we study the way in which the human body responds to infectious agents that can co-infect the same host, e.g., HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and helminthic worms. Each of these agents has a unique impact on the human immune system and studying them individually as well as in concert presents a more complete understanding of underlying disease. We believe our approach will lead to the development of vaccines and eventually the eradication of these diseases around the world.