Program in Inflammation, Immunity, and the Microbiome



The Program in Inflammation, Immunity, and the Microbiome (PrIIMe) is dedicated to meeting the needs of pediatric patients with complex disorders of the immune system that affect multiple body systems. These types of immune dysregulation can include acute infections leading to sepsis, chronic conditions that alter the body’s immune system function such as immunodeficiencies or auto-immune disorders, or genetic conditions that affect the way body systems interact.

Immune dysregulation can be difficult to diagnose. It can affect many body systems at the same time, and symptoms may come and go. At Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, we created a team of specialists from multiple areas that can be tailored to your child’s needs, including immunologists, oncologists, infectious disease specialists, critical care specialists, and rheumatologists. We partner with our immunology lab and genetic counselors to provide advanced diagnostics. Our goal is to gather input from all team members to provide an individualized diagnostic and treatment plan based on your child’s needs.


Conditions We Treat

We treat a variety of diseases with symptoms in multiple body systems as a result of disordered immunity including:

  • Critical complications of sepsis
  • Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)
  • Lymphoproliferative disorders
  • Undiagnosed diseases of immune dysregulation

Why Choose Lurie Children's?

PrIIMe includes specialists from across the hospital to meet your child’s specific needs. Lurie Children’s offers specialists in all aspects of the care that is required to diagnose and treat immune dysregulation. Patient support is critical to Lurie Children’s mission, and our dedicated team of social workers, case managers, and child life specialists are available during your stay and to help with transitions.

Our team collaborates with:

What To Expect

Whether your child is admitted to the hospital or visiting an outpatient clinic, upon referral to the PrIIMe team, our multi-disciplinary group of specialists will gather and review your child’s medical history. We may need to gather more information from laboratory testing, imaging, or other testing to help determine a diagnosis. We will work with your primary providers to create a diagnostic and treatment plan as applicable to your child’s needs. We will organize follow up with appropriate team members.

Meet Our Program in Inflammation, Immunity, and the Microbiome (PrIIMe) Team

Aisha Ahmed, MD

Aisha Ahmed, MD

Attending Physician, Allergy & Immunology

Mehreen Arshad, MD, MBBS

Mehreen Arshad, MD

Attending Physician, Infectious Diseases

Amanda C. Becker, MD

Attending Physician, Critical Care

Catherine A. Chapin, MD

Catherine A. Chapin, MD

Medical Director, Hepatology & Liver Transplant; Attending Physician, Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition

Bria M. Coates, MD

Bria M. Coates, MD

Attending Physician, Critical Care; Crown Family Research Scholar in Developmental Biology

Taylor A. Heald-Sargent, MD, PhD

Attending Physician, Infectious Diseases

Ravi Jhaveri, MD

Division Head, Infectious Diseases; Virginia H. Rogers Professor in Infectious Diseases

Elizabeth Lippner, MD

Attending Physician, Allergy & Immunology

Kevin O. McNerney, MD

Attending Physician, Hematology, Oncology, Neuro-Oncology & Stem Cell Transplantation

Divakar S. Mithal, MD, PhD

Attending Physician, Neurology; Founders' Board Chair in Neurocritical Care

Leena B. Mithal, MD

Attending Physician, Infectious Diseases

William J. Muller, MD, PhD

Attending Physician, Infectious Diseases; Ted Emerson Miller Research Scholar

Brian E. Nolan, MD

Attending Physician, Rheumatology

L. Nelson Sanchez-Pinto, MD, MBI, FAMIA

Attending Physician, Critical Care; Warren and Eloise Batts Research Scholar

Patrick C. Seed, MD, PhD

Patrick C. Seed, MD, PhD, FIDSA

Attending Physician, Infectious Diseases; Children’s Research Fund Chair in Basic Science

Lindsey Swigart, MSN, APRN-NP, RN, CPNP-AC

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit)

Joanna L. Weinstein, MD

Joanna L. Weinstein, MD

Attending Physician, Hematology, Oncology, Neuro-Oncology & Stem Cell Transplantation; Director, Cancer Predisposition Program

Make an Appointment

You can make an appointment with our specialists by phone. 

Our Location

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

225 E. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60611
312.227.4000

Get Directions

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