Rebecca Gruchalla, M.D., Ph.D.

Rebecca S. Gruchalla, M.D., Ph.D., is a Professor in the departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and Chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology. She holds the William A. Sellars M.D. and Joyce M. Sellars Distinguished Chair in Allergy and Immunology. She specializes in pediatric asthma.

Originally from Houston, Dr. Gruchalla holds a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Texas Tech University in Lubbock. She earned her doctorate in immunology and her medical degree at UT Southwestern. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and her fellowship in allergy and immunology training at UT Southwestern.

Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Allergy and Immunology, Dr. Gruchalla joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 1990.

Her clinical research focuses on inner-city pediatric asthma. Dr. Gruchalla has been leading NIAID-funded studies on inner-city pediatric asthma since 1994, and served as the Dallas site director of the multisite Inner City Asthma Consortium through 2021.

Her investigations have resulted in more than 80 publications in peer-reviewed journals, reviews, editorials, and book chapters. Additionally, she has presented her findings at scientific conferences throughout the United States and around the world.

Dr. Gruchalla is a past board member of the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology and of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology, where she is a Fellow and also serves on the credential and awards committees. She also is an active member of the Texas Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Society, the Texas Medical Association and the American Thoracic Society.

Medical School

UT Southwestern Medical School (1985)

Internship

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (1986), Internal Medicine

Residency

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (1988), Internal Medicine

Fellowship

UT Southwestern Medical Center (1991), Allergy & Immunology

• Pediatric Asthma Clinical Research

Featured Publications

Management of asthma based on exhaled nitric oxide in addition to guidelines-based treatment for inner-city adolescents and young adults: a randomized controlled trial

Szefler SJ, Mitchell H, Sorkness CA, Gergen PJ, O’Connor GT, Morgan WJ, Kattan M, Pongracic JA, Teach SA, Bloomberg GR, Eggleston PA, Gruchalla RS, Kercsmar CM, Liu AH, Wildfire JJ, Curry MD, Busse WW Lancet 2008 372 (9643) 1065-72

The Inner City Asthma Study: Relationships between sensitivity, exposure and morbidity

Gruchalla RS, Pongracic J, Plaut M, Evans R, Visness CM, Walter M, Crain EF, Kattan M, Morgan WJ, Steinback S, Stout J, Malindzak G, Smartt E, Mitchell H Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology March 2005 115 584-91

Safety of cephalosporin administration to patients with histories of penicillin allergy

Daulat S, Solensky R, Earl HS, Casey W, Gruchalla J Allergy Clin Immunol June 2004 6/113 1220-1222

Lack of penicillin resensitization in patients with a history of penicillin allergy

Solensky R, Earl HS, Gruchalla RS. Archives of Internal Medicine 2002 162 822-826

Clinical evaluation of drug-induced disease

Gruchalla RS Lancet 2000 356 1505-1511

Rhinitis in Children and Adolescents with Asthma: Ubiquitous, Difficult to Control, and Associated with Asthma Outcomes.

Togias A, Gergen PJ, Hu JW, Babineau DC, Wood RA, Cohen RT, Makhija MM, Khurana Hershey GK, Kercsmar CM, Gruchalla RS, Liu AH, Wang E, Kim H, Lamm CI, Bacherier LB, Pillai D, Sigelman SM, Gern JE, Busse WW J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 2018 Sep

Effects of Omalizumab on Rhinovirus Infections, Illnesses and Exacerbations of Asthma.

Esquivel A, Busse WW, Calatroni A, Togias AG, Grindle KG, Bochkov YA, Gruchalla RS, Kattan M, Kercsmar CM, Khurana Hershey G, Kim H, Lebeau P, Liu AH, Szefler SJ, Teach SJ, West JB, Wildfire J, Pongracic JA, Gern JE Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2017 Jun

The nasal methylome and childhood atopic asthma.

Yang IV, Pedersen BS, Liu AH, O'Connor GT, Pillai D, Kattan M, Misiak RT, Gruchalla R, Szefler SJ, Khurana Hershey GK, Kercsmar C, Richards A, Stevens AD, Kolakowski CA, Makhija M, Sorkness CA, Krouse RZ, Visness C, Davidson EJ, Hennessy CE, Martin RJ, Togias A, Busse WW, Schwartz DA J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 2017 May 139 5 1478-1488

Minimally important differences and risk levels for the Composite Asthma Severity Index.

Krouse RZ, Sorkness CA, Wildfire JJ, Calatroni A, Gruchalla R, Hershey GKK, Kattan M, Liu AH, Makhija M, Teach SJ, West JB, Wood RA, Zoratti EM, Gergen PJ J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 2017 Mar 139 3 1052-1055

Can We Be Too Clean for Our Own Good? The Hygiene Hypothesis Reviewed.

Patel S, Gruchalla R Tex Med 2017 Feb 113 2 54-59

• America's Top Doctors
  Castle Connolly (2018)
• Best Doctors in Dallas
  D Magazine (2009-2018)
• Gail G. Shapiro Memorial Lectureship
  Lectureship Award (2007)
• Women’s Involvement in the AAAAI
  Special Recognition Award (2007)
• Texas Super Doctor
  Texas Monthly (2005-2018)
• AAAAI Special Recognition Award
  Editorial Award (2004)
• Aventis/AAAAI Women Physician in Allergy Grant Award
  Research Award (2003)
• Boehringer-Ingelheim AAAI/NIAID
  Research Award (1992)

• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
• American Thoracic Society
• Texas Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Society
• Texas Medical Association