Dr. William Busse is a distinguished immunologist and preeminent authority in allergy and asthma research with a career spanning nearly five decades at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He has served on the faculty since 1974, holding significant leadership positions including Head of the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Division from 1978 to 2004 and the George R. and Elaine Love Professor and Chair of Medicine from 2004 to 2009. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin system, Dr. Busse earned both his undergraduate degree and medical doctorate from the institution before completing his residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Allergy and Immunology at the same university. His career exemplifies deep institutional commitment, having remained at UW-Madison throughout his professional life following military service from 1968 to 1970.
Dr. Busse's seminal research has fundamentally advanced the understanding of asthma pathophysiology with particular focus on eosinophilic inflammation and rhinovirus-induced asthma mechanisms, receiving continuous National Institutes of Health support for over thirty years. His leadership as Principal Investigator of the NIH-National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Inner City Asthma Consortium has transformed approaches to treating asthma in vulnerable pediatric populations through immune-based therapies. Dr. Busse chaired the Expert Panel Report 3 on the Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma, establishing evidence-based clinical practices that have improved patient outcomes worldwide. His work on lung-brain interactions in asthma has opened new avenues for understanding the complex interplay between respiratory and neurological systems in inflammatory diseases.
Beyond his research achievements, Dr. Busse has profoundly shaped the broader field through his presidency of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology from 2000 to 2001 and influential service on the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Advisory Council. He has mentored generations of allergists and immunologists while serving as associate editor for the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, helping to set standards for scholarly excellence in the field. His co-authorship of the seminal text Allergy Principles and Practice and Asthma and Rhinitis has educated countless clinicians and researchers worldwide. Although retiring from active faculty duties in 2021, Dr. Busse's legacy continues through the Dr. William W. and Judith H. Busse Lectureship, which invests in the future of allergy and immunology research.
