Dr. Akin is a researcher and clinician specializing on mast cell disorders, particularly mastocytosis and anaphylaxis, and is interested in pathogenetic mechanisms and biomarkers of allergic reactions. He has been involved in establishing WHO diagnostic criteria and classification of mastocytosis and consensus criteria of mast cell activation disorders. His research identified KIT mutations and helped develop tyrosine kinase inhibitors for treatment of mastocytosis. He is a founding member of American Initiative on Mastocytosis and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology.