Dr. Christina E. Ciaccio (she/her) is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the University of Chicago and Chief of the Section of Allergy/Immunology and Pediatric Pulmonology. Dr. Ciaccio currently serves as the Director of the Food Allergy Program at the University and has a research interest in understanding how nutrition and microbial exposures influence IgE sensitization. Her work has been funded by both the NIH and foundation support. She has been appointed to several local and national positions within the field of Allergy/Immunology, including the American Board of Allergy and Immunology; the Editorial Board of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology; the Clinical Advisory Board Executive Committee of Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) and currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Food Allergy/EGID Interest Section of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI). She has overseen over 20 clinical trials and has authored over 50 peer reviewed publications.

Smita Garg, M.Ed. (she/her) is an education consultant and an Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)- certified teacher. Through Asian Americans Advancing Justice- Chicago, she currently facilitates professional development sessions about the Asian American experience for educators teaching Kindergarten through 12th grade in Illinois. She contributed to the grades K-5 Scope & Sequence framework and extensive database of curricular resources to support implementation of the TEAACH Act (HB0376). Smita chairs the Diversity Committee at a K-8 Chicago Public Schools (CPS) site, collaborating with caregivers, teachers, and administration on programming that promotes diversity and inclusion in the school community. She was a cohort member in the series of Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED) intensive seminars across an academic year. She previously taught in CPS as an elementary classroom teacher. She also served as a teacher coach, drawing upon her former research experience in child psychology to guide a group of colleagues with positive behavior management strategies to address individual student needs and develop respective classroom communities. Smita developed food allergies in adulthood and is an asthma and food allergy parent. She respects the complexity and importance of understanding allergies in home, public, and school settings.

Dr. Ruchi Gupta is a Professor of Pediatrics & Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She has 18 years of experience as a board-certified pediatrician and health researcher and serves as the founding director of the Center for Food Allergy & Asthma Research (CFAAR) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Dr. Gupta is world-renowned for her groundbreaking research in food allergy and asthma epidemiology, most notably for her research on the prevalence of pediatric and adult food allergy in the United States.

Dr. Gupta is the author of the Food Allergy Experience and Food Without Fear, has written and coauthored over 170 peer-reviewed research manuscripts, and has had her work featured on major TV networks and in print media. She speaks to a global audience to share her research with experts and families. As a physician, food allergy researcher, and food allergy mom, her driving passion is to improve the lives of children and their families through discovery, clinical care, outreach, and education. She and her team strive to improve the lives of children and their families through their research and hope to continue finding answers and shaping policies around allergic conditions.

As a clinician, relationship builder, and content innovator, Tamara is a behavioral healthcare liaison within the allergy community. As such, she has developed internationally-recognized allergy psychosocial resources that address a previously unmet need within the community and have continued to help strengthen the food allergy and allergic disease counseling niche.

Having earned a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy, Tamara has been a practicing Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor for over 18 years. In her private practice, she provides mindfulness and evidence-based therapeutic guidance, helping allergic and non-allergic clients find balance between the overwhelm and quality of life by learning strategies and developing a mindset that supports their well-being. In the allergy and immunology field, she is an allied health member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) and the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). Additionally, she holds advisory roles for multiple organizations, including the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research (CFAAR), where she is a founding Community Advisory Board member.

Stephanie Joyce (she/her) is an experienced Registered Dietitian, speaker and food allergy advocate, having started her career working in coordinated school health programs before becoming the Director of School Nutrition Programs for Yarmouth Schools in Southern Maine. Most recently having served as a National Nutrition Advisor with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, she has traveled across the country providing training and technical assistance to schools and state agencies on school nutrition and wellness initiatives. She has worked with federal agencies including the United States Department of Agriculture, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and as a career highlight, has attended meetings at the White House through the “Chefs Move to Schools” campaign.

Stephanie earned her masters’ degree in public health nutrition from the University of Tennessee. After her son was born in 2018 with multiple food allergies, she has gained significant experience in navigating through the everyday challenges of food allergies. She lives in Maine with her husband and two children where they enjoy spending time outdoors.

Karen Schroeder (she/her) is an entrepreneur with a background as a Registered Dietitian, based in Winfield, Illinois. Karen grew up on a farm in Iowa where working with the land and growing food was the common way of life. As a child she witnessed her father battle serious health conditions, which engrained the importance of establishing a healthy lifestyle and sparked her purpose to empower others to do the same. Karen holds a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Iowa State University and served the community as a Registered Dietitian and certified yoga instructor prior to starting her own gardening business. At Homegrown Gardens, she transforms unused spaces into functional backyard gardens, provides non-GMO organic plants and educates her clients throughout the growing season.

As a long-time asthmatic, Dr. Renee has become an impassioned advocate for asthma education. She addresses the concerns asthma sufferers have getting their best possible health and medical care by supplying them with tools and knowledge they need to navigate the healthcare system, staying safe in the pursuit of care, and engaging patients to be active participants in their health and healthcare. Most recently, Dr. Renee appears in her show “Out of Office with Dr. Renee” which is seen in 45,000 Doctors’ offices and Walgreens across the country.

Dr. Renee is an active member of the Girl Scouts and a mentor for Save a Girl Save a World. Dr. Renee is especially passionate about addressing the health concerns of Black women and has been recognized by patients and professionals alike for her ability to translate the challenges patients face into tools and solutions they can use to improve their health care.

Most recently, she has authored two books, “Mommy, I Can’t Breathe” and “No Reneé, You are Allergic!”. In addition to her columns, Dr. Matthews has often appeared as a lecturer before various organizations.