Finding a Physician

Finding a Physician

We understand how difficult it can be to locate physicians that treat mast cell diseases.  Our experience tells us that the best source for referrals is our network. Below are Medical and Research Centers who are specialized in mast cell diseases. Since we find that the best referrals come from other satisfied members, we also recommend that you join our online support communities to ask about physicians there. All physician recommendations from our online support forums are patient generated and not from TMS.

Medical and Research Centers that Treat Patients with Mast Cell Diseases

Please note what each center specializes in and that each center may have their own separate process, such as physician referral. For example, some centers only treat patients with biopsy-confirmed systemic mastocytosis, while others only treat advanced variants. It is indicated below if a center will treat patients for mast cell activation syndrome and whether or not they will treat adults and/or children. Comprehensive centers can do the entire work-up, including evaluation, physical exam, KIT mutation analysis, mediator testing and bone marrow biopsy with flow cytometry, using appropriate stains for tryptase and expression of CD2 and CD25.

The list below was updated as of June 2020. For additional information regarding US centers, please visit the American Initiative in Mast Cell Diseases. The American Initiative in Mast Cell Diseases is reviewing potential Centers of Excellence and Reference Centers; please visit their website, http://www.aimcd.net , where information regarding new centers will be posted. 

Abbreviations used below:
MCAS: Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
CM: Cutaneous Mastocytosis
SM: Systemic Mastocytosis
ISM: Indolent Systemic Mastocytosis
SSM: Smoldering Systemic Mastocytosis
SM-AHN: Systemic Mastocytosis with
an Associated Hematologic Neoplasm
ASM: Aggressive Systemic
Mastocytosis
MCL: Mast Cell Leukemia
MCS: Mast Cell Sarcoma
MPN: Myeloproliferative Neoplasm

United States of America

ALABAMA

University of Alabama at Birmingham
UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center
1720 2nd Avenue, South
North Pavilion, Room 2540C
Birmingham, AL 35294

Contact: Pankit Vachhani, MD
Phone: 205-934-6770

Specialization: Adults with SM, SSM,
ASM, SM-AHN and MCL.

CALIFORNIA

Stanford Cancer Center
875 Blake Wilbur Drive, Room 2327B
Stanford, CA 94305-5821

Contact: Jason Gotlib, MD, MS
Professor of Medicine (Hematology)
Stanford University Medical Center
Phone: 650-498-6000
Fax: 650-724-5203

Specialization: Adults. Biopsy-proven,
advanced variants of SM only, including
SSM, SM-AHN, ASM and MCL.
Diagnosis, treatment, and research.

COLORADO

University of Colorado Hospital
Blood Cancer/Bone Marrow
Transplant Program
1665 Aurora Ct, Rm 2257
Aurora, CO 80045

Contact: William A. Robinson, MD, PhD
Professor, Division of Medical Oncology
Phone: 720-848-2869
Fax: 720-848-0704

Specialization: Adults. ISM, SSM,
SM-AHN, ASM and MCL. Diagnosis
(bone marrow biopsy can be arranged),
treatment, and research.

ILLINOIS

Rush University
Department of Medicine
Division of Hematology, Oncology
and Cell Therapy
1725 West Harrison St., Suite 836
Chicago, IL 60612
888-352-7874 (appointment line)

Contact: Celalettin Ustun, MD

Specialization: Adults with advanced
variants: SSM, ASM, SM-AHN, and
MCL. Diagnosis, treatment, and
research. Stem cell transplant program.

MARYLAND

National Institutes of Health/
National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases (NIH/NIAID)
Building 10, Room 11C207
10 Center Drive – MSC1881
Bethesda, MD 20814-1881

Contact: Dean D. Metcalfe, MD
Chief, Mast Cell Biology Section
Phone: 301-496-2165
Fax: 301-480-8384

Contact: Melody Carter, MD
Pediatrics
Phone: 301-496-8772

Specialization: Adults and pediatric.
Physician referrals only for CM,
biopsy-proven SM, and adult idiopathic
anaphylaxis. Diagnosis (bone marrow
biopsies), treatment, and research.

MASSACHUSETTS

Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH)
and Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI):
Boston Center of Excellence
for Mastocytosis

Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Division of Rheumatology,
Immunology and Allergy

60 Fenwood Rd., Brookline, MA 02115
Phone: 617-732-9850
Fax: 617-525-1310

Contact: Mariana Castells, MD, PhD
Director, Center of Excellence for
Mastocytosis
Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Phone: 617-732-9850
Fax: 617-525-1310

Contact: Richard Horan, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Phone: 617-732-9850
Fax: 617-525-1310

MASSACHUSETTS continued

Contact: Matthew P. Giannetti, MD
Phone: 617-525-1272
Fax: 617-732-5766

Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Division of Gastroenterology
75 Francis St., Boston, MA 02115

Contact: Matthew J. Hamilton, MD
Instructor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Phone: 617-732-6389
Fax: 617-264-5277

Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Hematologic Oncology Program
450 Brookline Ave., Dana D1B30
Boston, MA 02215

Contact: Daniel DeAngelo, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Phone: 617-632-6028
Fax: 617-632-6771

Specialization: Adults. Pediatric
(outpatient only at BWH; more complex
pediatric cases may be seen in
conjunction with Children’s Hospital
Boston). Physician referral required. All
mastocytosis and MCAS; only SM and
variants for DFCI. Diagnosis (can arrange
bone marrow biopsies), treatment, and
research.

Tufts University School of Medicine
136 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02111

Contact: Theoharis Theoharides, MD, PhD
Professor of Pharm. and Internal Medicine
Phone: 617-636-6866
Fax: 617-636-2456

Does not see patients in clinic. Available
for consultation with physicians.

MICHIGAN

University of Michigan
Comprehensive Cancer Center
Myeloproliferative Neoplasms and
Systemic Mastocytosis Clinic
1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann
Arbor, MI 48109

Contact: Cem Akin, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine
Department of Internal Medicine
Division of Allergy and Clinical
Immunology
24 Frank Lloyd Wright Drive
PO Box 442, Suite H-2100,
Ann Arbor, MI 48106-0422
Phone: 734-936-5634
Phone (new patient coordinator): 734-
232-2071
Fax: 734-647-6263

Specialization: Adults. Biopsy-proven
only. ISM, SSM, ASM, SM-AHN,
and MCL. Will perform diagnostic
bone marrow biopsies for patients
with elevated tryptase or biopsyproven cutaneous disease. Diagnosis,
treatment, and research.

MINNESOTA

Mayo Clinic Program for Mast Cell and
Eosinophil Disorders
200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905
Mayo Clinic – Allergy Department

Contact: Joseph Butterfield, MD,
Director

Contact: Anupama Ravi, MD
Pediatric Mastocytosis and MCAS

Contact: Thanai Pongdee, MD
Phone: 507-284-9077
Fax: 507-284-0902

Specialization: Adults and pediatric.
All mast cell related diseases including
MCAS. Diagnosis, bone marrow biopsy,
treatment, and research.

Mayo Clinic – Hematology Department

Contact: Animesh Pardanani, MBBS, PhD

Specialization: Adults. ISM, SSM,
ASM, SM-AHN, and MCL. Will perform
diagnostic bone marrow biopsies for
patients with elevated tryptase or
biopsy-proven cutaneous disease.
Diagnosis, treatment, and research.

NEW YORK

Columbia University Medical Center
New York Presbyterian Hospital
Herbert Irving Pavilion
161 Fort Washington Avenue
Garden Level
New York, NY 10032

Contact: Mark Heaney, MD, PhD
Director, Hematology and Medical
Oncology
Fellowship Program
Phone: 202-305-0566
Fax: (212) 305-8112

Specialization: Adults with advanced
variants: SSM, ASM, SM-AHN, and
MCL. Diagnosis, treatment, and
research. Specialty area-MPNs.

OHIO

University of Cincinnati College of
Medicine
231 Albert Sabin Way, ML#563
Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0563

Contact: Jonathan Bernstein, MD
Professor of Clinical Medicine
Department of Internal Medicine
Division of Immunology/Allergy
Phone: 513-558-5533
Fax: 513-558-3799

Specialization: All mast cell related
diseases including mastocytosis and
MCAS. Adults and pediatric. Diagnosis,
treatment, and research. Can arrange
bone marrow biopsies. Private family
practice.

Ohio State University
Wexner Medical Center
410 West 10th Avenue,
Columbus, OH 43210

Contact: Charity Fox, MD
Associate Professor Internal Medicine
Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and
Sleep Medicine
614-366-3687

TEXAS

MD Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 428 Houston, TX 77030

Contact: Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Leukemia Department
Phone: 713-792-7305
Fax: 713-794-4297

Specialization: Adults. Advanced variants of SM only: SSM, SM-AHN, ASM and MCL. Diagnosis, treatment, and research.

UTAH

The University of Utah School of Medicine
Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology Division
30 N 1900 E, Room 5C402, Salt Lake City, UT 84132

Contact: Michael Deininger, MD, PhD
Professor of Internal Medicine
Adjunct Professor of Oncological Sciences
Phone: 801-585-3229

Specialization: Adults. Advanced variants of systemic mastocytosis (SM) only: SSM, SM-AHN, ASM and MCL. Diagnosis, treatment, and research.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Commonwealth University
P.O. Box 980263
1250 East Marshall St., Richmond, VA 23298

Contact: Dr. Larry Schwartz, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine
Chair, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology
Phone: 804-828-9685
Fax: 804-828-0283

Specialization: All mast cell related diseases including mastocytosis and MCAS. Adults and pediatric. Diagnosis, treatment, and research. Can arrange bone marrow biopsies.

Virginia Commonwealth University Health System
Mc Guire Hall Annex, Rm 4-421
1112 East Clay Street
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0225

Contact: Anne-Marie Irani, MD
Professor of Pediatrics & Internal Medicine
Division of Pediatric Allergy & Immunology
Phone: 804-828-9620
Fax: 804-828-1751

Specialization: Asthma, food allergy, eosinophilic esophagitis,
atopic dermatitis, urticaria, drug and insect allergy, immunodeficiency disorders, human mast cells and basophils.

International

EUROPE

European Competence Network on Mastocytosis (ECNM)
www.ecnm.net

Austria: Medical University of Vienna

Denmark: Odense University Hospital

France: Association Française pour les Initiatives de Recherches sur le Mastocyte et lesMastocytoses (AFIRMM)

Germany

University of Berlin
University of Cologne
Technical University Munich
Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich

Greece: University Hospital of Athens – Attikon

Italy: University of Naples

The Netherlands: University Hospital Groningen

Poland: University of Gdansk

Portugal: University of Porto

Spain: Centro de Estudios de Mastocitosis de Castilla a Mancha (CLMAst)

Sweden: Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm

Switzerland: Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau

Turkey: University of Istanbul

United Kingdom: Guy’s and St. Thoms’ Trust, London

NORTH, CENTRAL and SOUTH AMERICA

American Initiative in Mast Cell Diseases (AIM)
www.aimcd.net

LATIN AMERICA

Aliança Latino-Americana em MAstocitose (ALMA)
President: Ana Mósca de Cequeira, MD
Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatric Dermatology
Hospital Municipal Jesus, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BRAZIL

Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo,
São Paulo, BRAZIL
Contact: Pedro Giavina-Bianchi Jr. , MD, PhD
Head of Allergy and Immunology Service
Associate Professor

MIDDLE EAST

Israel
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa
Emek Medical Center, Afula
Contact: Menachem Rottem, MD, PhD
Head of the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Service
Clinical Associate Professor
Phone: 972-52-8617823

Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba
Contact: Alon Hershko, MD, PhD

AUSTRALIA and ASIA

Australian Mastocytosis Society
https://mastocytosis.org.au/