Gurjit K. Khurana Hershey, MD, PhD
Photo: Gurjit K. Khurana Hershey

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Elected 2014

Dr. Khurana Hershey is a model physician scientist who has devoted her career to improving the health of children with asthma through clinically relevant research. She directs a highly successful NIH-funded research program. She has been continuously NIH funded for more than 15 years and is the PI of an NIH-funded U19 Asthma and Allergic Diseases Cooperative Research Center. She has published more than 100 articles in top journals. Her research has identified novel genetic and environmental factors that promote asthma/allergy phenotypes. Her work established that common exposures such as mold and traffic pollution have previously unrecognized immunomodulatory roles; specifically, these common exposures contribute to severe asthma by promoting Th17 responses, and neutralization of IL-17A counteracts their asthma-promoting effects. These findings directly implicate new personalized human translational interventions that are being tested. Her research is highly regarded by her peers, and she is a leader in the field of allergy/immunology. She serves on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology. She was awarded the Elliot F. Ellis Lectureship, an honorary lectureship given in recognition of outstanding service to the specialty of allergy/immunology. She is the Director of the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Co-Director of the Office of Fellowships at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She was named One of the Five Leading Women in Healthcare in the Greater Cincinnati Metropolitan Area by Women's Business Cincinnati Magazine.