Lulu Tsao, MD

HS Assoc Clinical Professor

Dr. Lulu Tsao is an allergist/immunologist who sees patients in the UCSF Parnassus adult allergy/immunology clinic. She has special interests in equitable access to allergy/immunology care, quality improvement, and evaluation of medication allergies in pregnant patients.

Education
Fellowship, 06/2021 - Allergy & Immunology, UCSF
Fellowship, 06/2021 - , VA Quality Scholars (VAQS)
Residency, 06/2019 - Internal Medicine, UCSF
MD, 05/2016 - , Harvard Medical School
BA, 05/2012 - Chemical & Physical Biology, Harvard University
Honors and Awards
  • Exceptional Physician Award, UCSF, 2025
  • Academic Senate Clinical Excellence Award, UCSF, 2024
Publications

  1. Zhou Q, Bagaric I, Komma F, Prakash C, Abolhassani H, Chavoshzadeh Z, Tsao L, Vatovec T, Soudée C, Rosain J, Minter DJ, Lu C, Al-Sukaiti N, Wu B, Sun J, Zhang Q, Casanova JL, Pan-Hammarström Q, Chan AY, Al-Farsi T, Wang X, Bustamante J, Bohlen J. Complete and partial forms of X-linked MCTS1 deficiency in patients with mycobacterial disease. Journal of human immunity 2026. PMID: 41623352


  2. Belmont AP, Li L, Tsao LR, Valente MS, Wolfson AR, Copaescu AM. One Allergy, Two Paths: Navigating Penicillin Allergy Evaluation in Pregnant Patients, Direct Challenges Versus Penicillin Skin Testing in Pregnancy. The journal of allergy and clinical immunology. In practice 2025. PMID: 41319903


  3. Tsao LR, Chang AL, Qin JZ, Ackerman SL, Irani RA, Otani IM. "I wish someone said along the way": Patient perspectives on penicillin allergy evaluation during pregnancy. Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology 2025. PMID: 41052575


  4. Tsao LR, Li L, Robertson PA, Irani RA, Otani IM. Aspirin/NSAID hypersensitivity evaluations in pregnancy: a case series of initiating low-dose aspirin. Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology 2024. PMID: 39383942


  5. Tsao LR, Wen S, Lamar RC, Irani RA, Otani IM. Promoting Prenatal Penicillin Allergy Evaluations: A Multi-Year Process Improvement Study. Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology 2024. PMID: 38521341


  6. Monahan R, Alfaro E, Ho H, Otani IM, Tsao LR. Hereditary Alpha Tryptasemia Presenting as Recurrent Chemotherapy Hypersensitivity Reactions. Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology 2023. PMID: 38151098


  7. Tsao L, Kwete XJ, Slater SE, Doyle KP, Cuong DD, Khanh QT, Mauer R, Thy DNM, Thinh DHQ, Tuan TD, Van Dung D, Khue LN, Krakauer EL. Effect of Training on Physicians' Palliative Care-Related Knowledge and Attitudes in Vietnam. Journal of pain and symptom management 2023. PMID: 37088114


  8. Otani IM, Tsao LR, Tang M. COVID-19 Vaccine Administration in Patients with Reported Reactions to Polyethylene Glycol- and Polysorbate-Containing Therapeutics. 2022. PMID: 35288274


  9. Otani IM, Lehman HK, Jongco AM, Tsao LR, Azar A, Tarrant T, Engel E, Walter JE, Truong TQ, Khan DA, Ballow M, Cunningham-Rundles C, Lu H, Kwan M, Barmettler S. Practical Guidance for the Diagnosis and Management of Secondary Hypogammaglobulinemia: A Work Group Report of the AAAAI Primary Immunodeficiency and Altered Immune Response Committees. 2022. PMID: 35176351


  10. Anstey KM, Tsao L, Otani IM. Drug Allergy Delabeling Programs: Recent Strategies and Targeted Populations. 2022. PMID: 35031956


  11. Tsao LR, Otani IM. One-Bag Desensitization Protocols in the Management of Chemotherapy Hypersensitivity. 2021. PMID: 34749948


  12. Tsao LR, Young FD, Otani IM, Castells MC. Hypersensitivity Reactions to Platinum Agents and Taxanes. Clinical reviews in allergy & immunology 2021. PMID: 34338975


  13. Tsao LR, Villanueva SA, Pines DA, Pham MN, Choo EM, Tang MC, Otani IM. Impact of Rapid Transition to Telemedicine-Based Delivery on Allergy/Immunology Care During COVID-19. The journal of allergy and clinical immunology. In practice 2021. PMID: 33894393


  14. L. Tsao, R. Irani, G. Rosenbluth, L. Choi, I. Otani. A055 EXPANDING PENICILLIN ALLERGY EVALUATION FOR PRENATAL PATIENTS. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology A055 EXPANDING PENICILLIN ALLERGY EVALUATION FOR PRENATAL PATIENTS. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2020. PMID:


  15. Lulu Tsao, Riley Bove, Tanya Krishnakumar, Iris Otani. Hypogammaglobulinemia in Patients with Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) Hypogammaglobulinemia in Patients with Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) 2020. PMID:


  16. Tsao L, Slater SE, Doyle KP, Cuong DD, Khanh QT, Maurer R, Minh Thy DN, Quoc Thinh DH, Tuan TD, Van Dung D, Khue LN, Krakauer EL. Palliative Care-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Self-Assessment Among Physicians in Vietnam. Volume 58 of Issue 6. Journal of pain and symptom management 2019. PMID: 31425821


  17. Lulu Tsao, Iris Otani, Riley Bove. Hypogammaglobulinemia in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Receiving Disease-Modifying Immunomodulatory Agents. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Hypogammaglobulinemia in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Receiving Disease-Modifying Immunomodulatory Agents. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2019. PMID:


  18. Rudder M, Tsao L, Jack HE. Shared Responsibility: Massachusetts Legislators, Physicians, and An Act Relative to Substance Use Treatment, Education, and Prevention. AMA journal of ethics 2016. PMID: 27669141