Santiago Alvarez, M.D., Ph.D.

Biography

Santiago Alvarez-Arango, M.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center and is a member of the Division of Allergy & Immunology. He specializes in drug allergies to antibiotics, anesthetics, insulin, biologics, chemotherapy agents, and other medications, as well as vaccines.

Originally from Medellín, Colombia, Dr. Alvarez earned his medical degree at Universidad CES. He completed internal medicine residency training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. He then obtained fellowship training in allergy and immunology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. During his fellowship, he trained under renowned drug allergy expert N. Franklin Adkinson, M.D., and researched drug allergy mechanisms in the Donald MacGlashan lab. He also completed an NIH-funded T32 fellowship in clinical pharmacology and earned a doctoral degree in clinical investigation from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology and the American Board of Internal Medicine, he joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2025.

Dr. Alvarez previously served as an assistant professor of medicine and pharmacology and molecular sciences at Johns Hopkins, where he led a dedicated drug allergy clinic and co-directed the Johns Hopkins Center of Excellence for Anaphylaxis and the Drug Development Unit.

His research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of drug allergies and advancing diagnostic and management methods for drug allergies. His work has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) Foundation Faculty Development Award and the KL2 Mentored Career Development Award. His research has been published in several journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine and The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, and he serves as a review editor for the journal Frontiers in Allergy. He also contributed to the third edition of Clinical Infectious Disease.

Dr. Alvarez is a member of several professional organizations, including the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the American College of Clinical Pharmacology, and AAAAI, where he serves on the Adverse Reactions to Drugs, Biologicals, and Latex Committee.

Personal Note

When he’s not at work, Dr. Alvarez enjoys traveling and exploring new cultures, working out, and playing squash and pickleball. He also enjoys outdoor activities, including skiing and climbing.