• UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine
UCLA Health
UCLA Health
  • About Us
    • What is UCLA Health?
    • Contact Us
    • Your Feedback
    • Accountable Care Organization
    • Awards & Achievements
    • Careers
    • Careers for Physicians
    • Departments - Administrative
    • Departments - Clinical
    • Giving to UCLA Health
    • Health Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
    • In the Community
    • Industry Relations
    • Innovation
    • Leadership
    • News Releases
    • Price Transparency
    • Social Media
    • #TeamLA
    • 340B Program
    Vital SignsLinked Graphic: Subscribe to Health Newsletters
    • Contact
    • Your Feedback
    • Accountable Care Organization
    • Awards and Achievements
    • Careers
    • Careers for Physicians
    • Departments - Administrative
    • Departments - Clinical
    • Giving to UCLA Health
    • Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
    • Innovation
    • In the Community
    • 340B Program
    • Leadership
    • News Releases
    • Price Transparency
    • Social Media
    • TeamLA
    • Subscribe to UCLA Health Newsletters
  • Conditions & Treatment
    • Health Library
    • Tests & Procedures
    • Drug Interaction Checker
    • Brain & Nervous System
    • Cancer
    • Children's Health
    • Heart Disease
    • Nutrition & Wellness
    • Pregnancy & Newborns
    • Orthopedics
    • Women's Health
    • Video Library
    • Cancer
    • Cardiovascular
    • Chiropractic
    • Cosmetic Surgery
    • Ear, Nose and Throat
    • Gastrointestinal
    • General Healthcare
    • Neurological
    • Obstetrics/Gynecology
    • See all videos...
    Symptom Checker
    • Video Library
  • Locations

    Hospitals

    • Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
    • UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center
    • UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital
    • Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital
    • Institutes and Centers
    • Take a Virtual Tour

    Medical Offices/Clinics

    • Primary Care
    • Specialty Care
    • Immediate Care
    • Emergency Care
    • Outpatient Surgery Centers
    • Community Cancer Care
    • Pediatric Locations
    • Imaging/Radiology
    • Clinical Labs
    • Pharmacies

    Interactive Map

    interactive map

    • Interactive Map
    • UCLA Medical Plazas
    • Locations Coming Soon
    • UCLA Hospitals
    • Take a Virtual Tour
    • Primary Care Practices
    • Specialty Care Practices
    • Immediate Care
    • Emergency Care
    • Pediatric Locations
    • Outpatient Surgery Centers
    • Clinical Labs
    • Pharmacies
    • Other Locations
    • Interactive Map
    • Coming Soon!
  • Medical Services
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Directions & Parking
    • Appointments
    • Video Visits
    • Medical Chaperones
    • Admissions
    • Preparing For Surgery
    • Patient Services
    • Security & Parking Services
    • Office of the Patient Experience
    • For International Patients
    • Lodging & Nearby Services
    • Around Westwood
    • Gift Shops & Flowers
    • Patient Greeting Cards
    • Coronavirus Resources
    • Log in to myUCLAhealth
    • Billing and Insurance
    • Medical Records
    • Price Transparency
    • Health Encyclopedia
    • Interactive Patient Education Videos (Emmi)
    • FAQs
    • Calendar of Events
    • Secure Email Messages
    • Health Resources
    • Multimedia
    • Download our Apps
    • Doctor on video visit
    • Open Enrollment
    • Visit our Connect Blog
    • Send a Care Compliment
    • Read Health Publications
    • Vital Signs Newsletters
    • Join a Patient and Family Advisory Council
    • Share your Feedback
    • Contact Us
    • Appointments: Call, Click, Come in
    • Video Visits - Telemedicine
    • Medical Chaperones
    • Admissions Information
    • Advance Directive
    • Directions & Parking
    • Patient Services
    • Medical Records
    • myUCLAhealth
    • Smoke-Free
    • Publications
    • Multimedia
    • Health Resources
    • Around Westwood
    • Lodging
    • Preparing For Surgery
    • Patient-focused Technology Council
    • Health Forms
    • End of Life Option Act: Resources & Materials
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Secure Email Messages
    • Gift Shops
    • Patient Greeting Cards
  • For Healthcare Professionals
    • Referring a Patient
    • Continuing Medical Education
    • Ethics Center
    • UCLA HealthLink
    • Physician to Physician Access Line (P2P)
    • David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
    • Clinical Informatics Fellowship
    • Academic Positions
    • Physician Careers
    • UCLA School of Dentistry
    • UCLA School of Nursing
    • Department of Nursing

    Physician Publications

    • Physicians Update
    • Clinical Updates
    • U Magazine
    • Physician to Physician Access Line (P2P)
    • Physician Careers
    • Clinical Informatics Fellowship
    • Flu Resources for Healthcare Professionals
    • Publications
  • Clinical Research
    • All Clinical Trials
    • COVID-19 Clinical Research
  • Find a Provider
  • UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine

Find a Provider

  1. Home
  2. Find a Provider

Find a Provider

https://www Photo

Specialty:
Pediatrics, Pulmonary Disease
Department Affiliation:
Pediatrics
Hospital Affiliation:
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital
UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center
State License:
A68246
Phone:
310-825-0867
Health Plans:
Accepted Plans
  • About Me
  • Locations
  • Education
  • Clinical Interests
  • Research
  • News & Awards
  • Videos
About Me

Link to Dr. Okelo's complete CV >

Professional Experience

Present

  • 2015 – present Associate Professor of Pediatrics
  • 2011 – Assistant Professor in Residence, Step IV, Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital
  • 2011 – Director of the UCLA Pediatric Asthma Center of Excellence (PACE)
  • 2011 – Director of Clinical Research in the Division of Pulmonology, Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA

Previous Positions Held

  • 2003 – 2011 Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University
  • 2003 – 2011 Director, Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Exercise Program, Johns Hopkins Hospital
  • 2007 – 2009 Director, Journal Club, Pediatric Pulmonology, Johns Hopkins Hospital

Professional Activites

Committee Service

  • 2003 – 2004 Data Safety and Monitoring Board , committee member, Johns Hopkins University

Community Service

  • 2005 – 2005 Pediatrics In-patient Teaching Attending, Johns Hopkins Hospital
  • 2007 – 2008 Advisor, Student National Medical Association, Johns Hopkins University
  • 2003 – 2004 Medical Advisory Board member, Amerigroup Medicaid MCO, Baltimore, Maryland

Professional Associations and Scholarly Societies

  • 2000 – present American Thoracic Society
  • 2008 – present Academic Pediatric Association
  • 1997 – 2005 American Academy of Pediatrics
  • 2003 – 2005 American College of Chest Physicians
  • 1998 – 2010 National Medical Association

Editorial Services

  • 2009 – present Ad hoc reviewer: European Respiratory Journal, Pediatric Pulmonology, Pediatrics

Lectures and Presentations

  • Top 5 Reasons for Poorly Controlled Asthma, Pediatric TRENDS, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, April 15, 2011
  • Asthma in the Inner-City, Johns Hopkins University CME Program on Respiratory Disease, Asthma and Allergy Center, Baltimore, MD, February 14, 2011
  • Applying the PACE Program to Underserved Communities, Oakland & San Francisco, CA, October 1, 2010
  • Practical Strategies to Identify & Address Suboptimal Medication Adherence in Patients with Asthma, Pediatrics for the Practitioners, Baltimore, MD, September 24, 2010
  • The roles of adherence and quality of life in asthma, Mexico City, July 15, 2009
  • Acute and Recurrent Bronchitis in Children, Hospital Panama Pacifica, May 23, 2009
  • Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) Guideline Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma, Hospital Panama Pacifica, May 23, 2009
  • Utilizing Clinical Research Methodologies to Improve Asthma Outcomes in Children, Grand Rounds Department of Otolaryngology Johns Hopkins University, March 2, 2009
  • The Contribution of Physician Characteristics and Treatment Behaviors to the Quality of Asthma Care of Minority Patients Grand Rounds, University of California San Francisco, June 11, 2008
  • Disparities in Asthma Care: Causes and Potential Solutions Pediatrics Grand Rounds, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, March, 2008
  • Asthma Update: the 2007 NIH Asthma Guidelines Pediatrics Grand Rounds, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, October, 2007
  • Keeping Kids Active: Evaluation and Management of Exercise Limitation TRENDS in Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, April, 2007
  • “Titrating Asthma Therapy in Children” Grand Rounds, St. Agnes Hospital, Baltimore, MD, November, 2006
  • “Career Opportunities in the Medical Field”, Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP), Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, July, 2006
  • “Titrating Asthma Therapy in Children” TRENDS in Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, April, 2006
  •  “Pulmonary Function Testing for General Pediatricians”, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians (JHCP), Baltimore, MD, October, 2005
  • Asthma Medications for Children, School Nurses of Maryland, Columbia, Maryland, June, 2005
Contact Information: SOkelo@mednet.ucla.edu
Primary Office
Westwood Pediatrics
200 UCLA Medical Plaza
Suite 265
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Get Directions
View Map
Phone
310-825-0867
Fax
310-206-5146
Secondary Office
Santa Monica Pediatric Specialty Care
1260 15th St.
Suite 1024
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Get Directions
View Map
Phone
(424) 259-8570
Medical Board Certifications
Pediatric Pulmonology, American Board of Pediatrics, 2004
Fellowship
Pediatric Pulmonology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 2000-2003
Residency
Pediatrics, Childrens Hospital - Oakland, 1997-2000
Degree
Case Western Reserve Univ School of Medicine, MD, 1997
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, PhD
Interests
  • Asthma

    Asthma

    Asthma is a long-term (chronic) lung disease. The airways react to triggers (allergens and irritants). This makes it hard to breathe. With exposure to triggers, these changes make the airways narrow. It is hard for air to go out of the lungs. And fresh oxygen can't get into the body.
    Learn more >
  • Bronchitis

    Chronic Bronchitis

    Chronic bronchitis is long-term inflammation of the breathing tubes (bronchi). It is common among smokers. People with chronic bronchitis tend to get lung infections more easily. They also have episodes of acute bronchitis, when symptoms are worse.
    Learn more >
  • Chest Pain

    Angina Pectoris

    Angina pectoris (or simply angina) is chest pain or discomfort that keeps coming back. It happens when some part of your heart doesn't get enough blood and oxygen. Angina can be a symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD).
    Learn more >
  • Chronic Cough

    Chronic Bronchitis

    Chronic bronchitis is long-term inflammation of the breathing tubes (bronchi). It is common among smokers. People with chronic bronchitis tend to get lung infections more easily. They also have episodes of acute bronchitis, when symptoms are worse.
    Learn more >
  • Exercise-Induced Asthma

    Asthma and Exercise

    For some, exercise, and other things, cause asthma symptoms. For others, asthma symptoms only happen with exercise or physical activity. In either case, the term to describe the condition is exercise-induced bronchoconstriction or EIB. (It used to be called exercise-induced asthma.) It means that exercise causes the airways or bronchi to narrow or constrict.
    Learn more >
  • Frequent Pneumonia

    Pneumonia

    Pneumonia is an infection of one or both of the lungs caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or chemical irritants. It is a serious infection or inflammation in which the air sacs fill with pus and other liquid.
    Learn more >
  • Reactive Airway Disease (RAD)
Research Interests
Dr. Okelo is interested in developing, testing, and implementing strategies to improve the quality of asthma care for children.
Publications
    • Link to Dr. Okelo's PubMed publications
    • Download Dr. Okelo's publication/Bibliography (PDF)

Selected Publications

  1. A Clinical-Decision Instrument Improves Assessment of Asthma Disease Status in Pediatric Emergency Department Patients Goldberg EM, Laskowski-Kos U, Wu D, Gutierrez J, Bilderback A, Okelo SO, Garro A. J Asthma, Dec. 4, 2013
  2. Pediatrician Qualifications and Asthma Management Behaviors and their Association with Patient Race/Ethnicity Okelo SO, Riekert KA, Eakin M, Bilderback A, Rand CS, Diette GB, Yenokyan G. J Asthma, 2014 Mar;51(2):155-61
  3. Validation of Parental Reports of Asthma Trajectory, Burden and Risk Using the Pediatric Asthma Control and Communication Instrument Okelo SO, Eakin MN, Riekert KA, Teodoro A, Bilderback AL, Thompson D, Loiaiza-Martinez A, Rand CS, Diette GB, Patino CM. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2014 Mar-Apr;2(2):186-192.e7.
  4. Asthma Treatment Decisions by Pediatric Residents Do Not Consistently Conform to Guidelines nor Improve with Level of Training? SO Okelo, GK Siberry, BS Solomon, M Yamazaki, T Hetzler, C Ferrell, N Dhepyasuwan, JR Serwint for the CORNET Investigators. Academic Pediatrics, March 11, 2014
  5. Pediatricians' perceptions of family socioeconomic status in asthma care SB Johnson, BJ Gordon, JM. Jennings, MH. Bair-Merritt, NE. Adler, SO Okelo. Pediatr Allergy Immunol Pulmonol. 2014 Sep 1;27(3):120-125.
  6. Asthma identification and Medication Administration Forms in New York City Schools Reznik M, Bauman LJ, Okelo SO, Halterman JS. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2015 Jan;114(1):67-68.e1.
  7. Differences in spirometry values between US children 6-11 years and adolescents 12-19 years with current asthma, 2007-2010. Kit BK, Simon AE, Tilert T, Okelo S, Akinbami LJ. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2015 Jul 7
  8. Racial Disparities in Asthma Morbidity Among Pediatric Patients Seeking Asthma Specialist Care. SJ Mitchell, AL Bilderback, SO Okelo. Acad Pediatr. 2015 Aug 29. pii: S1876-2859.
  9. Predicting Future Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations for Asthma using the Pediatric Asthma Control and Communication Instrument - Emergency Department Version (PACCI-ED) DJ Wu, E Hipolito, AL Bilderback, SO Okelo, A Garro. J Asthma. Accepted Oct. 28, 2015
In The News

Interviews

  • Symposium Focuses on Raising Asthma Awareness, (Bakersfieldnow.com) May 27th, 2015
  • Canadian Television Interview - Dr. Sande Okelo, July 7, 2008
  • WJZ Baltimore Interview: Some Children May be Overmedicated for Asthma - Dr. Sande Okelo, August 12, 2008
  • The Joe Madison Show, Sirius XM 128, "Do asthma morbidity disparities exist between black and white children referred to asthma specialist care?" June 9, 2011
  • Air Pollution is Making Us Sick (Momscleanairforce.org) June 30, 2011
  • Asthma Among African-American Kids & What Moms Can Do, (Blogtalkradio.com) June 27, 2011
Awards

Honors and Special Awards

  • 2008 – 2013 NIH K23 Career Development Award
  • 2009 – 2011 National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Award, recipient.
  • 2001 – 2004 National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Award, recipient.
  • 1994 – 1996 Summer Research Fellow, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH

Research Grants and Fellowships Received

  • 2016 – 2018 ATS Foundation/Breathe California of LA Research Grant
  • 2011 Reducing Asthma Morbidity in High Risk Minority Preschool Children, NHLBI, $560,510. The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of a home-based asthma education intervention with demonstrated efficacy, when delivered in the context of a Head Start–wide asthma education program.
  • 2011 Standardization of Videofluoroscopic Swallow Studies for Bottled-fed Children, NIDCD, $278,706. The purpose of this project is to test a new standardize method of translating the x-ray findings into meaningful clinical information that improves the accuracy of swallowing diagnosis and guides swallowing treatment.
  • 2008 A+ Head Start Intervention for Smoke Free Homes, NHLBI, $492,044, 2008 – 2013 The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of an ETS reduction intervention with demonstrated efficacy, when delivered in the context of an overall EPA-based Head Start ETS reduction education program. NHLBI
  • 2008 K23 Career Development Award, Development of a Pediatric Asthma Control and Communication Instrument, NHLBI, Principal Investigator, $662,258, 2008 - 2013. The purpose of this study is to develop and validate an asthma decision-support Tool designed to improve communication with parents of high-risk children with asthma.
  • 2007 Thrasher Research Fund, The role of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infection in asthmatic exacerbations in pediatric patients, 2007 – 2009. The purpose of this case-control study is to compare children with asthma exacerbations with a group of age-matched control asthmatic children with signs and symptoms of upper respiratory infection in the absence of wheezing in order to determine the role of hMPV in pediatric asthma exacerbations.
  • 2006 Minority Investigator Research Supplement, Improving Asthma Care for Minority Children in Head Start, NHLBI, 2006 – 2008. The purpose of this study is to survey pediatricians to assess how their attitudes towards interventions designed to improve shared decision-making among low income inner-city parents of minority children with asthma.
  • 2002 Minority Postdoctoral Supplement, NIEHS, 2002 – 2003. The purpose of this study is to evaluate racial differences in coronary artery disease and treatment recommendations in a Veterans Administration patient population.
Webinar URL

Webinars

Does my Child Have Asthma and How Should it be Treated?

Medical Education

Pediatric Asthma Treatment
Sande O. Okelo, MD, PhD click here to update your profile
Back to search
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube LinkedInWeibo
UCLA Health hospitals ranked best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report
  • UCLA Health
  • Find a Doctor
  • School of Medicine
  • School of Nursing
  • UCLA Campus
  • Directory
  • Newsroom
  • Subscribe
  • Patient Stories
  • Giving
  • Careers
  • Volunteer
  • International Services
  • Privacy Practices
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Billing
  • Health Plans
  • Emergency
  • Report Broken Links
  • Terms of Use
  • 1-310-825-2631
  • Maps & Directions
  • Contact Us
  • Your Feedback
  • Report Misconduct
  • Get Social
  • Sitemap

Sign in to myUCLAhealth

Learn more about myUCLAhealth