History of the Department

The Department of Allergology was first organized in 1992 within the combined Department of allergology, immunology, microbiology, infectious diseases and epidemiology under the leadership of ASMI Rector, professor E.S. Belozerov.

In 1994, under the leadership of professor Zhanat Ispayeva, a pediatric allergology course was created. It has subsequently been transformed several times: first as an allergology course (2008), then as an allergology module (2011), an allergology and clinical immunology module (2014), and an independent Department of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (2018).

The Head of the Department of Allergology and Clinical Immunology has been Zhanat Ispayeva, doctor of medical sciences and professor. She has extensive professional training in allergology, defended her candidate dissertation in 1987, and continued her studies in doctoral studies at the leading allergology center in Moscow (1989-1992), where she defended her doctoral dissertation.

For many years (since 2000) Prof. Zhanat Ispayeva has served as the Chief Pediatric Allergist of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the city of Almaty. She was one of the first editors-in-chief of the ASMI newspaper “Shipager” (1994-1997).

Currently, Prof. Zhanat Ispayeva headed as the Chairperson of the Senate of the Kazakh National Medical University named after S.D. Asfendiyarov (since 2017), Chairperson of the Board of the Republican Public Organization “Association of Allergists and Clinical Immunologists” (since 2013), Member of the European Academy of Allergists and Clinical Immunologists (EAACI) from 1999 to the present.

Prof. Zhanat Ispayeva is the Republic of Kazakhstan coordinator of the ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its impact on Asthma) scientific society and the International Network of Universities in Molecular Allergology and Immunology (INUNIMAI). She is the director and coordinator of national programs on bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis in the Republic of Kazakhstan (1998, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2011).

Prof. Zhanat Ispayeva is an organizer of 25 annual National Kazakhstan International Congresses “Asthma and Allergy” featuring leading world-renowned allergists, presidents of the European Academy of Allergists and Clinical Immunologists, and specialists in allergology and clinical immunology from near and far abroad.

Under the leadership of Prof. Zhanat Ispayeva, the Republican Public Association “Association of Allergists and Clinical Immunologists” was established in 2013 and registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It has nine branches in the cities of Astana, Kostanay, Shymkent, Aktobe, Atyrau, Kokshetau, Uralsk, Karaganda, and Ust-Kamenogorsk.

In 2013, for the first time in the history of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the RPA “Association of Allergists and Clinical Immunologists” became a full member of the European Academy of Allergists and Clinical Immunologists (EAACI), which represents 52 countries, including the Republic of Kazakhstan. In 2018, the Kazakhstan Association changed its position within the EAACI and was elevated to the rank of National Societies of European Countries (EAACI website).

Furthermore, in 2018, the Kazakhstan Association of Allergists and Clinical Immunologists, under the leadership of Professor Zhanat Ispayeva, became a member of the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS) and the World Allergy Society (WAO).

Also Kazakhstan in the person of Professor Zhanat Ispayeva included in the international MACVIA-ARIA project of the European Health Commission.

The merits of Zhanat Bakhitovna Ispayeva to the republic include the State Award “Kurmet” for her contribution to the development of healthcare, the «Қазақстан Республикасы денсаулық сактау ісінің үздігі» badge, the «Қазақстан Республикасының денсаулық сақтау ісіне үлес қосқаны үшін» badge, the award of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a commemorative medal dedicated to the 125th anniversary of academician Kanysh Satpayev, and was repeatedly awarded the honorary diploma of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan, KazNMU named after S. D. Asfendiyarov and the silver medal of KazNMU dedicated to the 80th anniversary, and received a letter of thanks “Алғыс хат” from the East Kazakhstan Regional Health Department. She was elected an Honorary Professor in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Under the supervision of Professor Zhanat Ispayeva, more than 300 allergists have been trained. On her initiative, allergy centers and specialized departments were opened in all regions of the country. Under her supervision, two candidate dissertations were defended, and two doctoral students successfully completed the collection and preparation of dissertation material.

Professor Zhanat Ispayeva has 20 scientific publications in journals ranked in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quartiles, as well as indexed in AHCI, SSCI, SCIE (Web of Science), and included in Scopus with a percentile of at least 35th. Her h-index is: Scopus – 17, Web of Science – 16th, percentile – 91.0.

In 2016, the department, under an intra-university grant, completed a research project on “Metabolic Changes in Food Allergies,” which determined the metabolic profile of patients with food allergies.

The Department of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, under the direction of Zhanat Ispayeva, participated in the research project of the S.D. Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University’s Center for Clinical Pharmacology (PCP) “National Program for the Implementation of Personalized and Preventive Medicine in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2020–2022.”

The department’s staff performs significant clinical work at clinical sites, actively engages in research, introduces new allergy diagnostic methods into practical healthcare, and develops and implements modern techniques in allergology and immunology. The department also formalizes the implementation of new diagnostic methods.

Scientific publications are regularly co-authored with physicians at clinical sites, facilitating the integration of science and practical healthcare.