Terri F. Brown-Whitehorn, MD
Areas of expertise: Asthma, Atopic dermatitis, Allergic rhinitis, IgE mediated food allergy, Eosinophilic esophagitis, Hives, Food allergy, Food protein induced enterocolitis syndrome, Food intolerances, Drug allergy, Mast cell diseases, Other skin disorders, Venom allergy
About Terri F. Brown-Whitehorn
Terri Brown Whitehorn, MD, thrives on building and sustaining relationships. “I have always liked taking care of patients,” she says. Her position at CHOP enables her to watch her patients grow: “In allergy and immunology, we see patients often from infancy or toddlerhood through adolescence.”
As as an associate clinical professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, Dr. Brown Whitehorn also loves sharing her enthusiasm with her students. “I especially enjoy teaching younger clinicians (medical students, residents and fellows) about our specialty,” she says.
Occasionally, Dr. Brown Whitehorn’s doctoring and mentoring interests intersect: “It has been fun to see some of my long-term patients decide to become doctors or allergists because of my role in their life,” she says.
“Food allergy, food protein induced enterocolitis (FPIES), atopic dermatitis (eczema) and eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) are conditions that interest me” Dr. Brown Whitehorn says. She is encouraged by the way treatment of these conditions is evolving, and she has been instrumental in the adoption of new approaches that bring together teams of specialists from several disciplines at CHOP.
“Years ago, we never had joint clinics where families could see multiple specialists at the same time in the same room, and now we do!” says Dr. Brown Whitehorn. “I have been involved from early days in our Center for Pediatric Eosinophilic Disorders and helped to start the FPIES clinic, the Food Reactions Clinic and Allergy-Immunology-Dermatology Clinic.
Dr. Brown Whitehorn also enjoys treating patients with atopic conditions —includes asthma, drug allergies, and allergic rhinitis.
Always eager to expand the tool kit available to allergists and their patients, Dr. Brown Whitehorn is currently pursuing research into promising new treatments for food allergy, (including immunotherapy administered orally and via skin patch); eczema; EoE; and FPIES.
“We will soon have options for families with children with all atopic conditions that we did not have in the past,” Dr. Brown Whitehorn says. “It is very exciting to watch. I also love working with some of our younger colleagues who are interested in basic science research, giving them an idea, and seeing how we can search for an answer.”
“Quality, safety and improvement projects” are also high on Dr. Brown Whitehorn’s list of priorities. “Behind the scenes, I am quite proud of the work we did with our emergency room, pharmacy and nursing colleagues in the development of the emergency room anaphylaxis pathway,” she says. CHOP’s Clinical Pathways are online documents that incorporate evidence, best practice, and local expert consensus into easily accessible, shared mental models for use by clinical teams at the point of care to facilitate the delivery of high-quality medical care.
An attentive listener who takes great care to explain medical conditions and treatments to patients and their families, Dr. Brown Whitehorn strives to communicate CHOP’s commitment to patients at every meeting.
“I want every family to know that we care about their children and will do the best we can to help them!” she says.
Titles
Attending Physician
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Certifications
Pediatrics – American Board of Pediatrics
Awards and Honors
2010, Master Clinician Award Recipient, CHOP
2004, Main Line Today, "Great Doctors for Kids"
2001, 2022, Philadelphia Magazine's Top Doctors in Pediatric Allergy & Immunology
1998, President’s Grant-in-Aid Award, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
Leadership and Memberships
Memberships in Professional Organizations
2010-present, American Academy of Pediatrics
1995-present, American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology
1995-present, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology
Education & training
Medical Degree
MD - University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO
Residency
Pediatrics - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Fellowship
Postdoctoral Research Fellow - St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
Allergy/Immunology - The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Postdoctoral Research Fellow - The Institute of Human Gene Therapy, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Publications
Publications
2015
Ram G, Lee J, Ott M, Brown-Whitehorn TF, Cianferoni A, Shuker M, Wang ML, Verma R, Liacouras CA and Spergel JM. Seasonal exacerbation of esophageal eosinophilia in children with eosinophilic esophagitis and allergic rhinitis. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2015 Sep;115(3):224-228.
Hill DA, Shuker M, Cianferoni A, Wong T, Ruchelli E, Spergel JM, and Brown-Whitehorn TF. The development of IgE mediated immediate hypersensitivity after the diagnosis of eosinophilic esophagitis to the same food. J Allergy Clin Immunol: In Practice. 2015 Jan-Feb;3(1):123-4.
2014
Maggadottir SM, Hill DA, Ruymann K, Brown-Whitehorn RF, Cianferoni A, Shuker R, Wang ML, Chikwava K, Verma R, Liacouras CA and Spergel JM. Development of eosinophilic esophagitis to food after development of IgE tolerance. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014;133(5):1487-9.
Lectures by Invitation
2016
“Food protein induced enterocolitis” New England Allergy Society Meeting, Boston, MA, April 2016.
2015
“Food allergy: tolerance and desensitization”, Rutgers Allergy and Immunology Division, NJ, October 2015.
“Food allergy update”, Reading Hospital Symposium; PA, October 2015.
“Food allergy”, Bryn Mawr/Haverford College talk for students, September 2015.
“Successful approach to food allergy diagnostic dilemmas", AAAAI National Meeting, Houston, TX, March 2015.
Books
2019
Brown-Whitehorn T, Cianferoni A, editors. Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis (FPIES): Diagnosis and Management. Basel, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing; 2019.
Editorials, Reviews, Chapters
2016
Fung I, Maggadottir SM, and Brown-Whitehorn T. Allergy and Asthma. The Philadelphia Guide: Inpatient Pediatrics, 2nd edition, 2016.
2012
Saltzman RW and Brown-Whitehorn TF. Gastrointestinal Syndromes associated with food allergies. Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 42 (7): Aug 2012:163-190.
Brown-Whitehorn TF, Verma R, and Spergel JM. Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases. Book Chapter, Manual of Allergy and Immunology, 5th edition, 2012.
Garrett JPD, Brown-Whitehorn TF, and McGeady S. Food allergy. Five Minute Consult. 6th edition, 2012.
Brown-Whitehorn TF. When should I refer a patient with eczema to an allergist? Book chapter edited by Dr. James Treat, Curbside Consultation in Pediatric Dermatology: 49 Clinical Questions, 2012.
Beausoleil J and TF Brown-Whitehorn. Allergic and Atopic Features of Children with Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Book chapter edited by Dr. Jonathan Markowitz and Dr. Chris Liacouras on Eosinophilic Esophagitis, 2012.
2011
Brown-Whitehorn TF, section editor and co-author on 4 allergy and immunology sections: atopic dermatitis, anaphylaxis, recurrent infections, and urticaria. In: Florin T, Ludwig S(eds). Netter’s Pediatric Textbook. Philadelphia: Saunders, 2011.
2009
Jyonouchi S, Brown-Whitehorn T, and JM Spergel. Association of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders with other Atopic Disorders. Esophagitis. Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America, 2009;29(1):85-97.
2008
Franciosi JP, Brown-Whitehorn T, and CA Liacouras Pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Epidemiology, Diagnosis and Treatment. Current Pediatric Reviews, 2008;4(4):266-269.
2006
McGintee EE, Beno S, Brown-Whitehorn T. Anaphylaxis. In: Burg F, Ingelfinger J, Polin R, Gershon A (eds). Gellis and Kagan's Current Pediatric Therapy, 18th Edition. Philadelphia: Saunders, 2006.