Department of Pediatrics

Clinical Interests

Dr. Polk is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine. She graduated with honors from Colorado State University in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and earned her medical degree from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Polk completed her residency in pediatrics at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, followed by a fellowship in Allergy and Immunology. Dr. Polk joined the faculty at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in July 2017. She is an active member of several organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Dr. Polk’s clinical and research interests include childhood food allergy and eosinophilic esophagitis.

Education

• BS, Cum laude, Colorado State University, 2008
• MD, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 2012

Training

• Internship and Residency in Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Hospital, 2012 - 2015
• Fellowship in Allergy and Immunology, Children's Mercy Hospital, 2015 - 2017

Licensure and Board Certification

• 2015 - PresAmerican Board of Pediatrics, Board Certified
• 2015 - PresMO, Medical License
• 2017 - PresAmerican Board of Allergy and Immunology
• 2018 - PresIL, Medical License

Honors

• Mortar Board Honor Society, Tau Iota Omega Chapter, 2007 - 2008
• University of Colorado School of Medicine, Course Representative and Class Historian, 2008 - 2012
• Gold Humanism Honor Society, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 2011 - 2012
• Medical Student Education Committee at Children's Mercy Hospital, selected member, 2012 - 2015
• Clemens von Pirquet Award, American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, 2015
• Travel scholarship recipient, AAAAI, provided by Teva Respiratory, 2015
• Travel scholarship recipient, ACAAI, provided by Teva Respiratory, 2015
• FIT Bowl champion, American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Annual Meeting, 2016
• Travel scholarship recipient, ACAAI, provided by Teva Respiratory, 2016
• Travel scholarship recipient, AAAAI, provided by Teva Respiratory, 2017
• Travel scholarship recipient, ACAAI, provided by Teva Respiratory, 2017

Recent Publications view all (9)

1. Polk BI, Bacharier L. Potential Strategies and Targets for the Prevention of Pediatric Asthma. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am.. 2019;39(2):151-162. PMID:30954167 
2. Polk BI, Dinakar CD. Management of acute loss of asthma control: yellow zone strategies. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. . 2019. doi:10.1097/ACI.0000000000000512.  PMID:30649012  
3. Dowling PJ, Neuhaus H, Polk BI. The Role of the Environment in Eosinophilic Esophagitis Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2018. PMID:30032346 
4. Polk BI, Dinakar C. Patient-Centered Outcomes in Food Allergy. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2017;17(6):39. PMID:28516366 
5. Polk BI, Rosenwasser LJ. Biological Therapies of Immunologic Diseases: Strategies for Immunologic Interventions. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2017;37(2):247-259. PMID:28366475 
6. Polk BI, Dinakarpandian D, Nanda M, Barnes C, Dinakar C. Association of tree nut and coconut sensitization. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2016;117(4):412-416. PMID:27566863 
7. Davis LA, Polk B, Mann A, Wolff RK, Kerr GS, Reimold AM, Cannon GW, Mikuls TR, Caplan L. Folic acid pathway single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with methotrexate significant adverse events in United States veterans with rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2014;32(3):324-32. PMCID:PMC4167828  PMID:24447348 
8. Polk BI, Becker ML. Pharmacogenomics in childhood rheumatic disorders: a foundation for future individualized therapy. Discov Med. 2013;16(90):267-75. PMID:24333406 
9. Caminati M, Polk BI, Rosenwasser L. What have recent advances in therapy taught us about severe asthma disease mechanisms? Expert Rev Clin Immunol.