AAIFNC 2026 Annual Symposium

San Francisco, CA US
April 18, 2026

The 2026 Bridges to Understanding program will provide continuing medical education on Mast Cells, Asthma, Drug and Food Allergy and AI in Allergy/Immunology.

Accreditation
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) and the Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Foundation of Northern California (AAIFNC).  The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Designation
The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) designates this live activity for a maximum of 6.25 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

CBRN
The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) is a provider, approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP17239, for 6.25 contact hours.

No commercial support was received for this activity.

Target Audience

Practicing allergists
Primary care physicians
Allied healthcare professionals

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, learners should be able to…

1. Appraise current and emerging therapies, including oral and intralymphatic immunotherapy, in terms of safety, adherence, and long-term outcomes compared to strict avoidance.
2. Propose strategies for timely specialist referral, multidisciplinary collaboration, and patient education to optimize biologic use, adherence, and long-term asthma outcomes.
3. Describe the differential diagnosis in patients being worked up for mast cell disorders 

Additional information
Disclosure: 

As required by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and in accordance with the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) policy, all individuals in a position to control or influence the content of an activity must disclose all financial relationships with any ineligible company that have occurred within the past 24 months.

Ineligible companies are those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care products used by or on patients. The ACCME does not consider providers of clinical service directly to patients to be ineligible companies. Examples of ineligible companies include:

•    Advertising, marketing, or communication firms whose clients are ineligible companies
•    Bio-medical startups that have begun a governmental regulatory approval process
•    Compounding pharmacies that manufacture proprietary compounds
•    Device manufacturers or distributors
•    Diagnostic labs that sell proprietary products
•    Growers, distributors, manufacturers or sellers of medical foods and dietary supplements
•    Manufacturers of health-related wearable products
•    Pharmaceutical companies or distributors
•    Pharmacy benefit managers
•    Reagent manufacturers or sellers

The ACCME does not consider providers of clinical service directly to patients to be commercial interests. For more information, visit www.accme.org. All identified relevant relationships must be mitigated and the educational content thoroughly vetted for fair balance, scientific objectivity, and appropriateness of patient care recommendations. It is required that disclosure of or absence of relevant financial relationships be provided to the learners prior to the start of the activity.

Learners must also be informed when off-label, experimental/investigational uses of drugs or devices are discussed in an educational activity or included in related materials.

Disclosure in no way implies that the information presented is biased or of lesser quality. It is incumbent upon course participants to be aware of these factors in interpreting the program contents and evaluating recommendations. Moreover, expressed views do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the ACAAI. All relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies have been mitigated.

No commercial support was received for this activity.

Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 6.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 6.25 Attendance
  • 6.25 CBRN
Course opens: 
04/18/2026
Course expires: 
12/31/2026
Event starts: 
04/18/2026 - 8:15am CDT
Event ends: 
04/18/2026 - 4:10pm CDT
Rating: 
0

2026 AAIFNC Annual Symposium "Bridges to Understanding"
San Francisco CA

April 18, 2026

GENERAL SESSION ~ Nikko Ballroom I & II
EXHIBITS AND COFFEE BREAKS ~ Nikko Ballroom III

8:15AM-8:20AM Program Introduction & Welcome, Steve Machtinger, MD and Kristina Philpott, MD
Session Moderators: Steve Machtinger, MD and Kristina Philpott, MD

8:20AM-9:05AM Systemic Mastocytosis: Clinical Cases and Review of the Literature, Dayne Voelker, MD

9:05AM-9:50AM Mast Cell Activation Syndromes, Matthew P. Giannetti, MD

9:50AM-10:35AM When an “Eosinophilic” Disease is Actually Caused by Mast Cells: Update on Pathogenic Mechanisms of Nasal Polyposis, Larry Borish, MD

10:35AM-10:50AM    Panel Discussion and Q&A

10:50AM-11:20AM  Exhibits, Posters, Coffee Break

11:20AM-12:10PM    Comparative Effects of Biologics for Severe and Difficult-to-Treat Asthma / Q & A, Giselle S. Mosnaim, MD, MS

12:10PM-1:00PM    Solving Food Allergy Diagnostic Dilemmas: Can You Crack the Case? / Q & A, Scott H. Sicherer, MD

1:00PM-2:00PM  Lunch Break & Exhibits

2:00PM-2:50PM Practical Approaches to Aspirin & NSAID/Aspirin Hypersensitivity / Q & A, Tanya M. Laidlaw, MD

2:50PM-3:40PM AI in Medicine: Integrated Intelligence or Illusory Imitation? / Q & A, Jonathan H. Chen, MD, PhD

3:40PM-4:00PM  Q&A

4:00PM-4:10PM Acknowledgements & Wrap-Up, Steve Machtinger, MD – AAIFNC President
 

Hotel Nikko
222 Mason Street
San Francisco, CA 94012
United States

All relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies have been mitigated.

Larry Borish, MD – Speaker
Consultant: Novartis
Researcher: Adovate, Regeneron, Sanofi

Matthew P. Giannetti, MD – Speaker
Consultant: Blueprint, Cogent, Inmagene, Novartis, Palindome Therapeutics, Solu Therapeutics

Giselle Mosnaim, MD, MS – Speaker
Advisor: Amgen, AstraZeneca, Chiesi, Eli Lilly, Genentech, GSK, Jasper, Novartis, Regeneron, Sanofi, Teva
Consultant: Incyte, Regeneron, Sanofi
Speaker: Amgen, AstraZeneca, Chiesi, Novartis, Regeneron, Sanofi

Scott H. Sicherer, MD – Speaker
Researcher: Pfizer, Regeneron

Kristina H. Philpott, MD – Planner, Moderator
Stock/stock options: Amgen, Boston Scientific, Stryker, Thermo Fisher, Eli Lilly, GSK, Merck, Zoetis

Gregory Bensch, MD – Planner
Advisor: Aimmune, AstraZeneca, Dermavant, Sanofi/Regeneron
Consultant: Sanofi/Regeneron
Speaker: Aimmune, AstraZeneca, Blueprint, Incyte, Sanofi/Regeneron, Teva

The following have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose:

Jonathan H. Chen, MD, PhD – Speaker
Tanya M. Laidlaw, MD - Speaker
Dayne Voelker, MD – Speaker
Steve Machtinger, MD – Planner, Moderator
Javaid M. Khan, DO – Planner
Sean McGhee, MD, PhD – Planner
Rose Monahan, MD – Planner
Dai Park, MD – Planner
Michelle Huffaker, MD – Planner
Sarah Pederson, RN – Planner
Karol Anderson – Planner

 

Available Credit

  • 6.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 6.25 Attendance
  • 6.25 CBRN
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