For many physicians, the journey into medicine is deeply personal, shaped by their own health challenges or those of their loved ones.
UTMB’s Nicole Christians, MD, had a fair amount of exposure to her specialty long before she ever entered medical school. She didn’t just choose Allergy and Immunology – she lived it.
“I suffer from allergic diseases myself,” she says. “Growing up, I saw an allergist regularly. That experience shaped me and gave me a deep empathy for the patients I now care for.”
Her firsthand struggles with allergies inspired her to pursue medicine and ultimately specialize in Allergy and Immunology. Having gone from patient to provider, she brings a unique perspective that resonates with those she treats.
“I love helping people identify their triggers and find relief,” she says. “It’s something I can actually fix, and that’s incredibly rewarding.”
A Houston native, Dr. Christians first came to UTMB for medical school, then remained for her residency and fellowship training. She briefly left to explore private practice, but her heart remained in academic medicine.
She credits UTMB physicians Drs. Jennifer McCracken, Julia Tripple, and Andrew Grant with being incredible mentors. Since returning to UTMB this summer, she is thrilled to now work alongside the faculty members who were so influential to her training.
Dr. Christians practices primarily in League City but also sees patients in Galveston, rotating with Dr. Sarah Pham.
Her clinical interests include allergic rhinitis, asthma, and eczema. She is especially passionate about allergy shots, which she describes as “pretty amazing” for their ability to treat the root cause of allergic inflammation and significantly improve quality of life. Her clinic offers skin testing for environmental and food allergies.
Although she primarily treats adults, she also sees children aged 10 and up. She welcomes her former pediatric patients from her days in private practice to come and see her at UTMB.
One of her standout initiatives is penicillin allergy delabeling, a process that helps patients safely remove outdated allergy labels.
“Approximately 80 percent of patients with penicillin allergy lose their sensitivity after 10 years,” she explains. “We can often safely perform an oral challenge in clinic, and if they pass, they can freely take penicillin in the future.”
This work supports better patient outcomes and antibiotic stewardship, and she is eager to collaborate with UTMB’s infectious disease and pharmacy teams to expand these efforts.
Dr. Christians also encourages primary care providers to refer patients with asthma, especially those struggling with control. Her clinic has the ability to prescribe biologics, offering advanced treatment options that can make a significant difference.
Coming back to UTMB has been more than a career move for Dr. Christians. It represents a return to the institution where her passion for allergy care was first nurtured, where she continues to define her career through empathy, expertise, and patient connections.