Pediatric allergic diseases — food, drug, seasonal allergies — and anaphylaxis, a potentially life threatening allergic reaction, are on the rise and researchers are working furiously to understand, prevent and treat these conditions.

Macie Glover sprinted across the gym floor at school earlier this year, tripped and crashed into a wall. In a bizzare sequence of events, she hit her head and arm and scraped her knees as the force of the crash propelled her whole body arching backward into a crescent shape.

Steven Webber, MBChB, MRCP, delivered the annual State of the Department of Pediatrics address on Tuesday, with growth and quality improvement serving as recurring themes along with a focus on the department’s four mission areas — discovery, clinical care, education and advocacy, service and community partnerships.

Adam Esbenshade, M.D., MSCI, assistant professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, has been awarded a $50,000 Hyundai Hope on Wheels Impact Award. Esbenshade plans to use data to create a risk prediction model to predict blood stream infections in pediatric cancer patients.

Kathryn Dahir, M.D., associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, recently received the Maher Family Grant from Soft Bones Inc., an organization dedicated to providing information, education and support to those affected by hypophosphatasia (HPP).