Meet The Doctor

Asif Rafi, MD

Board Certified in Allergy & Immunology and Geriatrics & Gerontology

Dr. Asif Rafi developed his early interest in immunology while serving as a Senior Research Associate at Georgetown University Medical Center. During this time, he completed a two-year research project examining the epidemiology of HIV and AIDS in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. His team was also selected as a key site for the prestigious Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) grant. Dr. Rafi was also fortunate to have the opportunity to work alongside Anthony Fauci, whose leadership, scientific rigor, and decades of experience in Immunology research provided invaluable guidance and inspiration. Collaborating with such a respected figure not only deepened his understanding of the field but also enriched his professional growth through exposure to Dr. Fauci’s insight, dedication to public health, and commitment to advancing scientific knowledge.

Dr. Rafi earned his medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine and went on to complete his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he remained actively involved in Allergy and Immunology research.

Following residency, he pursued a three-year research fellowship in Allergy & Immunology and Geriatrics & Gerontology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He completed his pediatric Allergy & Immunology training at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). His research has focused extensively on chronic sinusitis, atopic dermatitis and allergic skin disorders, food allergies, and co-morbidities associated with allergic diseases.

While at UCLA, Dr. Rafi completed a Special Fellowship in Advanced Geriatrics, conducting in-depth research on anti-aging medicine, immune-enhancing therapies, and complex drug interactions.

Dr. Rafi served on the faculty at the UCLA School of Medicine and the VA Greater Los Angeles Medical Center for 20 years. During this time, he held the position of Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine and was a core faculty member of the Allergy and Immunology Fellowship Program at the VA Greater Los Angeles Medical Center. For two decades, he led research initiatives for fellows and actively taught medical residents and medical students.

He has authored numerous first-author publications in Allergy & Immunology and Geriatrics and has co-authored a book chapter addressing immunity in the elderly and infection control in nursing homes.

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About-Asif

Focusing Extensive Research

From my extensive training, I have developed a novel multi-disciplinary approach to the treatment of chronic sinusitis which has superior efficacy to standard treatments.

If you have a food allergy, your immune system overreacts to a particular protein found in that food. Symptoms can occur when coming in contact with just a tiny amount of the food. Many food allergies are first diagnosed in young children, though they may also appear in older children and adults.

An expert in the treatment of chronic sinusitis, Dr. Rafi is the only Board Certified & Fellowship-trained Allergist & Immunologist in Los Angeles who has completed advanced training in chronic sinusitis.

Food intolerance is not caused by the immune system and usually has a delayed reaction of several hours after eating the food. Symptoms include gastrointestinal bloating, diarrhea, vomiting and skin rashes. Food intolerance can have a number of different causes, so it is important to know what those foods are to get to the underlying condition.

Asthma is a chronic disease involving the airways in the lungs.  Asthma is characterized by reversible obstruction of these airways.  When something triggers your symptoms, the airways become even more swollen and the muscles around the airways can tighten. This makes it difficult for air to move in and out of the lungs, causing symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.

Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction, (EIB), often known as exercise-induced asthma, is a narrowing of the airways causing difficulty moving air out of the lungs during exercise. If you have chronic asthma, your symptoms may be worse when you exercise. In addition, some people who don’t have asthma experience symptoms only when they exercise.

Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) is an antibody deficiency that leaves the immune system unable to defend against bacteria and viruses, resulting in recurrent and often severe infections primarily affecting the ears, sinuses, and respiratory tract.  (sino-pulmonary infections). In the majority of cases, the diagnosis is not made until the third to fourth decade of life. Permanent damage to the respiratory tract (bronchiectasis) may occur due to severe and repeated infections.

Your skin protects your insides and is like a wall that helps stop germs, dirt, bacteria and other unwanted pathogens from getting in. Your skin is also involved in important functions like controlling your body temperature and your respiration (gas exchange).  New skins cells constantly replace old ones. Unfortunately, the skin is still vulnerable to infection as it interacts with microscopic bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens.

When asthma symptoms appear in adults 20 years of age or older, it is referred to as adult-onset asthma. Exposure to allergens, infection, or irritants such as cigarette smoke, chemicals, mold, or other substances commonly found in the person’s environment may trigger the first asthma symptoms in an adult.

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