Dr Guy Settipane, who was the founder of the Eastern Allergy Conference, OceanSide Publications and the co-editor in chief of Allergy & Asthma Proceedings, died August 21, 2004.
He was a graduate of Brown University, Class of 1953, and New York Medical College, Class of 1957. His internal medicine training was completed in the Navy, where he served from 1957 to 1962; and during that time, he developed an interest in allergy. He went on to train in Allergy/Immunology at Rhode Island Hospital and then under Professor Cooke at Roosevelt Hospital, New York City, completing his fellowship training in 1964.
His 42 years in the field of Allergy/Immunology were a remarkable example of his industrious nature and diversified interests. He demonstrated excellence in leadership, teaching, research, writing, editing, publishing and dedication to his patients.
In 1965, his academic career began with appointment to the position of Chief of the Division of Allergy and Director of the Allergy/Immunology training program at Rhode Island Hospital. Despite a purely voluntary and part-time faculty, the training program thrived because of strong contributions by community physicians, like himself, who charitably gave their time teaching in the allergy clinic. In the mid 1970's, when Brown Medical School was founded, Dr. Settipane was given a clinical academic appointment in the Department of Medicine. In 1995, he was promoted to full Clinical Professor of Medicine at Brown Medical School. He enjoyed teaching tremendously and was very proud of the success of his trainees. A total of thirty fellows trained under his direction between 1965 and 1996. Unfortunately in 1996, despite an excellent record of achievement, the Allergy/Immunology fellowship training program at Brown University became a casualty of hospital finances. Upon the closing of the program at Rhode Island Hospital, Dr. Settipane volunteered his private practice to serve as Browns primary site for Allergy/Immunology training of medical students and residents.
His research interests were in the areas of food/food additive allergy, aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease and urticaria/angioedema, nasal polyps, asthma associated with hyperthyroidism, and the natural history of allergic rhinitis and asthma. His publications in regard to long term follow-up data on a cohort of college students were among his most notable. This project, which was still ongoing at the time of his death, continued for forty years and resulted in ten papers which yielded unique insights, the most notable of which was the identification of allergic rhinitis as a risk factor for the development of asthma. Over his career, he authored or co-authored a total of 171 peer-reviewed medical-research publications.
He was a past president of the Rhode Island Society of Allergy, the Rhode Island Thoracic Society, and New England Society of Allergy. Additionally, he was honored to have served as a member of the Executive Committee of the American Academy of Allergy from 1990-1994.
In 1987, he founded the "Eastern Allergy Conference" and served as its Director through the annual meeting of May 2004. He also served on the Board of Directors of the annual "Combined Meeting" of the Southwest Allergy Forum, Texas Allergy Society and Eastern Allergy Conference.
One of the accomplishments in which he took much pride, was founding the Federation of Local, State, Regional Allergy Societies and serving as its first chairman in 1973.
In 1980, he started a publishing company, OceanSide Publications, through which he published and edited six medical textbooks and established two journals, the American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy & Asthma Proceedings, the official journal of Local, State, Regional Allergy Societies. He served as editor in chief of Allergy & Asthma Proceedings from 1980 to 2000 and co-editor in chief until his passing. He felt very fortunate to have received the highly qualified editorial service of David Kennedy MD, John Connell MD, Phil Fireman MD FAAAAI, Roy Patterson MD, FAAAAI, Paul Greenberger MD, FAAAAI and Joseph Bellanti MD, FAAAAI.
He greatly valued his family and took great pride in his four sons: two physicians which he recruited not only to the field of Allergy/Immunology, but to his own private practice, Robert J. Settipane MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Brown Medical School and Russell A. Settipane MD, FAAAAI, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Brown Medical School, and two attorneys, Guy J. Settipane and Joseph M. Settipane. He also greatly enjoyed his granddaughter and four grandsons.
In all his endeavors he demonstrated a strong propensity for independent thought, a unique ability to motivate others, a high degree of enthusiasm and a determination to see projects through to completion.
