Conference Spotlight: AAAAI
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) is holding its 2013 Annual Meeting February 22 through February 26 in San Antonio, TX at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center (200 East Market Street; 210-207-8500; www.sahbgcc.com).
Attendees to the AAAAI Annual Meeting will have 5 days packed with workshops, sessions, and educational offerings, at this premiere event for the allergy and immunology fields.
Key Speaker
Two keynote addresses will take place during the AAAAI Annual Meeting. On Saturday, February 23, Jeffrey Gordon, MD, will lead the presentation “Dining in with Trillions of Fascinating Friends: The Microbiome in Health and Disease.” This keynote presentation will take place from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM in Exhibit Hall D.
On Monday, February 25, the Cutting-Edge Research Keynote, titled “Exploring Frontiers in Innate and Specific Immune Systems,” will take place from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM in Exhibit Hall D. The first portion of this keynote will be presented by Larry W. Kwak, MD, PhD, and K. Frank Austin, MD, FAAAAI, will lead the second portion of this keynote. This address will focus on describing techniques used in vaccine therapy for cancer and the mechanisms involved in generating mast cell diversity and the functional implications of this process.
Workshops and Educational Sessions
This meeting offers a packed schedule of educational workshops and sessions. Below is just a sampling of some of the workshops and sessions that will be presented during the meeting, but be sure to check out the full schedule online at https://annualmeeting.aaaai.org/.
Educational Sessions and Workshops Scheduled for February 22
8:00 AM – 9:15 AM
- Clinical Research Workshop—Who Needs a Monitoring Plan? You Do!
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- The Development of the Immune System: When Does Allergy Begin?
- Drug Hypersensitivity and Allergy: From Diagnosis to Treatment
- Diagnosis and Treatment of Angioedema Without Urticaria
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Update on Drug Allergy: Penicillin and Beyond
- Food Allergy and Its Relation to Anaphylaxis
- Interpretation of Pulmonary Function Tests
5:15 PM – 6:15 PM
- Seminars
-Challenges of Managed Multiple Food Allergies
-Let’s Take the Myth-stery Out of Mold
-Management of Children and Adult Patients with Atopic Dermatitis
Educational Sessions and Workshops Scheduled for February 23
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
- Seminars
-Siglecs and Their role in Immune Responses
-Perioperative Anaphylaxis: Which Tests and How to Interpret
-Evaluating Experimental Models of Allergic Rhinitis
8:15 AM – 9:45 AM
- Presidential Plenary Session—Sensitization and Tolerance in Allergic Disease
10:45 AM – 12:00 PM
- EAACI: Allergen Specific Immunotherapy From Bench to Bedside
- Management of Early Loss of Asthma Control or What to Do When Your Patient Reaches the Yellow Zone
- Accountable Care and Population Management for the Asthma Patient in 2013 and Beyond
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
- Seminars
-Comorbidities in Asthma: Which Matters Most?
-Efficacy vs. Effectiveness in Asthma
-Problem-Based Learning: The Allergist and Sleep Disorders
2:00 PM – 3:15 PM
- How Inner-City Exposures Lead to Disparities in Children’s Asthma
- Oral Food Challenges: What, Where, When and Why
- An Update in the Diagnosis and Management of the 0-4 Year Old Asthmatic
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- Keynote—Dining in with Trillions of Fascinating Friends: The Microbiome in Health and Disease
4:45 PM – 6:00 PM
- Hands-On Spirometry Training for the Office
- FDA: Update From the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- An Adult with Chronic Cough
Educational Sessions and Workshops Scheduled for February 24
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
- When Autoimmunity Mimics Allergy: How to Recognize and Refer
- Motivational Interviewing to Improve Adherence and Outcomes
- Making the Most of Your EMR: Meeting Meaningful Use
8:15 AM – 9:45 PM
- Plenary Session—Epigenetics: How the Environment Affects Gene Expression and the Development of Asthma and Allergic Disease
10:45 AM – 12:00 PM
- Advances in the Understanding of Common Variable Immunodeficiency: An International CONSensus Symposium
- Practice Parameters on Environment Assessment and Exposure Reduction
- World Allergy Forum: Advances in Tolerance Induction to Allergens
3:00 – 4:15 PM
- Dendritic Cells
- Mother and Child: Prevention and Disease
- Advances in Controlling Allergic Inflammation
Educational Sessions and Workshops Scheduled for February 25
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
- Seminars
-Afterburn: Asthma, Bronchiolitis, Sarcoidosis and Titanium Lung Injury After Deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan
-Damp Buildings are Unhealthy: What are Damp Buildings and How Do They Cause Problems?
-Mastocytosis Mimics: Cutting Through the Clutter
8:15 AM – 9:45 AM
- Plenary Session—Immune Defects: Insights and Opportunities
2:00 PM – 3:15 PM
- Biological Therapies
- Inflammatory Responses to Pollutants, Pesticides, and Endotoxin
- The Role of Lymphocytes in Mediating Asthma and Allergic Inflammation
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- Cutting-Edge Research Keynote—Exploring Frontiers in Innate and Specific Immune Systems
4:45 PM – 6:00 PM
- CD4+T Cell Subsets in Asthma Phenotypes
- Difficult Situations in Practice Management
- JCAAI: The Allergist and Healthcare in 2013
Educational Sessions and Workshops Scheduled for February 26
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
- Seminars
-Oral Immunotherapy for Food Allergy: Contrasting Practices in the US and in Europe
-There’s An App for That: iPhone/iPad, Android and Web Tools for Clinical Practice
-Exhaled NO: Time to Clear the Air!
8:15 AM – 9:45 AM
- Plenary Session—Neurogenic Pathways of Inflammation
2:00 PM – 3:15 PM
- Effects on Viral and Bacterial Infections on Asthma
- Drug/AD
- Recent Advances in Eosinophil and Mast Cell Biology
3:30 PM – 4:45 PM
- Advances in Desensitization
- Are Your Baked Milk and Egg Challenges Half-Baked?
- Airway Smooth Muscle Signaling: New Insights in Asthma
Dining in San Antonio
San Antonio Dining: Tex Mex and Beyond
Foodies en route to Texas are often hankering to indulge in the cultural blend of cuisine for which the state is famous. These visitors won’t be disappointed in the fare to be found along the river and streets of San Antonio. Many of the fine dining establishments found in San Antonio are nestled along the highly inviting River Walk, which snakes its way through the sprawling city.
Casa Rio (430 East Commerce Street; 210-225-6718; www.casa-rio.com) was founded in 1946 by Alfred F. Beyer and actually sits on land first granted title in 1777 by the King of Spain. The building in which this traditional Mexican restaurant sits is a tribute to its long-standing history and still contains architectural details dating back to its establishment.
The dishes that make up the menu at Casa Rio may not be fancy, but they are high quality and incredibly satisfying. Served as a local favorite since 1946, the Regular Plate consists of a cheese enchilada, tamale, chili con carne, Mexican rice, and refried beans. For more hearty eaters, the Casa Rio Deluxe Dinner, which just happens to be the restaurant’s bestseller, consists of a cheese enchilada, tamale, crispy beef taco, chili con carne, guacamole salad, chili con queso, Mexican rice, and refried beans.
Needless to say, this restaurant is a favorite and can draw quite a crowd, so either plan on an early meal or factor in some waiting time—it will be worth it.
On a quieter side of the river sits Biga on the Banks (203 South St. Mary’s Street; 210-225-0722; www.biga.com), which boasts lovely views of the river with a street-side entrance. Biga offers what can best be described as high-end modern American cuisine with just a kiss of fusion tossed in for good measure. The service is impeccable and the décor is very modern and comfortable. The menu changes daily, and the dessert is not to be missed!
If you’re looking for a more traditional high class dining experience with a continental European flare, then make your way to the Fig Tree (515 Villita Street; 210-224-1976; www.figtreerestaurant.com), which is nestled in a crook of the river by the La Villita shopping village.
Here, you can never go wrong with distinctive classics like center cut petit filet mignon, and the seafood options, such as the rainbow trout almondine, are ready to tempt the palette. You may also want to keep your options open because the daily specials are often extraordinary.
Sights to See in San Antonio
Exploring the Enchanted Scenes of San Antonio
Very few cities provide an escape hatch. San Antonio is an exception. Where else can you trek the streets of a thriving city caught up in the hustle and bustle of the daily grind, and then turn a corner, dart down a stone staircase, and disappear into a world of tranquility and diversion? This is essentially what the River Walk can do for visitors.
The relationship between San Antonio and its river has not always been an amicable one. The flooding of the river along the banks distressed the city dwellers so much that there was talk of actually paving over the river as a form of flood control.
Lucky for us, Robert H. Hugman submitted a design that would prove to be the solution not only to flooding concerns but also to the preservation of the river. In 1929 the San Antonio Conservation Society backed Hugman’s River Walk design, and construction began soon after. The project was finished in 1938 and has remained a beloved cultural hub for residents and visitors to San Antonio.
Because the River Walk is considered a city park, it has no entrance fee. Visitors can simply pop in and pop out of the walk at their leisure and explore. Despite this, the City of San Antonio Downtown and River Walk Operations does an impeccable job of maintaining the beauty of this stretch of cobblestoned pathways.
As you wind your way around the bridges and under the tunnels, you’ll discover waterfalls and cheerful little islands all lined in an emerald green ribbon of waterway. There always seems to be a surprise around every corner, and where some sections of the walk are crowded with shops, eateries, and friendly people, other sections are quiet retreats with hidden benches and outdoor works of art ready to capture the imagination and soothe the soul.
The best way to enjoy the River Walk and to learn a little more about its history is to take a riverboat tour, and Rio San Antonio Cruises (205 North Presa Street; 210-244-5700; www.riosanantonio.com) will be happy to accommodate you. You can purchase tickets for the tour at the Rivercenter Mall or at their kiosk along the River Walk itself. The boat rides are 35 minutes long and provide a very lively narration.
In addition to the picturesque River Walk, The Alamo, an American iconic landmark, is situated in San Antonio. Each year more than 4.2 million people visit the Alamo, a 4.2-acre complex on Alamo Plaza in San Antonio’s downtown. The property includes 3 buildings—the Shrine, Long Barrack Museum, and Gift Museum—with exhibits on the Texas Revolution and the state’s history. Admission to the Alamo complex is also free.
Constructed in 1724 and known as Misión San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo housed Christian missionaries and their Native American converts until 1793 when Spanish officials secularized the land and distributed it to the remaining Native Americans.
The Alamo is mostly known for its place in the Texas Revolution. In December 1835, Texas immigrants, American volunteers, and their Tejano allies confronted Mexican troops and took over the Alamo. Although the details are debated among historians, the Battle of the Alamo is significant to many as a symbol of the sacrifice made to achieve Texas’ freedom.
The River Walk and the Alamo are 2 historic attractions you’ll definitely want to take some time to visit during your stay in San Antonio.
