Melanie A. Ruffner

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Melanie A. Ruffner, MD, PhD

Attending Physician

Classic food allergies are mediated through immunoglobulin E and manifest as hives, vomiting, and anaphylaxis. Dr. Ruffner investigates the immune mechanisms of food allergy disorders which are not mediated through immunoglobulin E. In particular, the mechanisms of eosinophilic esophagitis and food-protein induced enterocolitis syndrome are of particular interest in Dr. Ruffner's laboratory.

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Education and Training

BS, Johns Hopkins University (Biomedical Engineering), 2003

PhD, University of Pittsburgh (Bioengineering), 2009

MD, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 2011

Pediatrics Residency, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia 2014

Fellowship, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (Allergy and Immunology), 2017

MTR, University of Pennsylvania, 2020

Titles and Academic Titles

Attending Physician

Assistant Professor

Professional Memberships

American Association of Pediatrics

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

Clinical Immunology Society

Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies

Pennsylvania Allergy & Asthma Association

Professional Awards

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Chrysalis Award, 2011

American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Young Faculty Award, 2016

American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Young Faculty Development Award 2021

Publication Highlights

PubMed:

Melanie A. Ruffner, MD, PhD

Ruffner MA, Zhang Z, Maurer K, Muir AB, Cianferoni A, Sullivan KE, Spergel JM. RNA sequencing identifies global transcriptional changes in peripheral CD4+ cells during active oesophagitis and following epicutaneous immunotherapy in eosinophilic oesophagitis. Clin Transl Immunology. 2021 Jul; 10(7):e1314. doi: 10.1002/cti2.1314. PMID: 34322233

Ruffner MA, Hu A, Dilollo J, Benocek K, Shows D, Gluck M, Spergel JM, Ziegler SF, Hill DA, Cerosaletti K.J. Conserved IFN Signature between Adult and Pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis. J Immunol. 2021 Feb; Online ahead of print. PMID: 33558373

Ruffner MA, Wang KY, Dudley JW, Cianferoni A, Grundmeier RW, Spergel JM, Brown-Whitehorn TF, Hill DA. Elevated Atopic Comorbidity in Patients with Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2020 Mar; 8(3):1039-1046. Epub 2019 Nov 20.PMID: 31759160

Ruffner MA, Song L, Maurer K, Shi L, Carroll MC, Wang JX, Muir AB, Spergel JM, Sullivan KE. Toll-like receptor 2 stimulation augments esophageal barrier integrity. Allergy. 2019 Dec; 74(12):2449-2460. Epub 2019 Jul 25. PMID: 31267532