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Our research-backed asthma therapies support long-term relief for improved quality of life.
Asthma and breathing issues can take a serious toll, leading to constant coughing, fatigue, missed work or school, difficulty exercising, and even trouble maintaining a healthy weight. These challenges affect every part of daily life.
At Modena Health in Solana Beach, Dr. Brian Modena brings both personal experience and scientific expertise to asthma care. A lifelong asthma patient himself, Dr. Modena has dedicated his career to understanding and treating this complex condition. He focuses on accurate diagnosis, identifying each patient’s unique triggers, and building personalized treatment plans grounded in data and cutting-edge science.
Dr. Modena has spent more than a decade leading research in asthma genomics, microbiome science, and the use of artificial intelligence in disease management. He serves on national advisory boards and currently oversees multiple clinical trials at Modena Health, bringing new treatments and innovations directly to patients. His commitment to precision medicine ensures that every patient receives the most advanced and effective asthma care available. At Modena Health, we’re proud to help Solana Beach breathe easier, one patient at a time.
At Modena Health, we take a comprehensive, personalized approach to diagnosing and treating asthma, because not every case is what it seems. Many conditions can mimic asthma, including Paradoxical Vocal Cord Dysfunction (PVCD), chronic bronchiectasis, COPD, dysfunctional breathing, or even undiagnosed cystic fibrosis. That’s why our process begins with a deep dive into your full medical history and previous treatments, ensuring no detail is overlooked.
Our goal is to understand your health story from early life to the present. Were you born prematurely? Did your mother or close relatives have asthma? Have you had frequent sinus infections, pneumonia, or childhood hospitalizations for breathing issues? Was there smoking in the home? What medications have you tried, and which ones actually helped? These questions guide us toward an accurate diagnosis, and ultimately a treatment plan built around your unique biology and experience. At Modena Health, we don’t just treat symptoms. We uncover the full picture to help you breathe with confidence.
At Modena Health, we believe that accurate, timely testing is the foundation of effective asthma care. That’s why we often begin with allergy skin testing to quickly identify whether common allergens like mold or pet dander may be contributing to your symptoms. A positive result to multiple allergens can be a strong sign of allergic asthma. In children, the number of positive tests can even help predict whether asthma may improve with age.
We also use advanced lung function tests to evaluate how well your lungs are working and whether asthma is limiting your ability to breathe. These tests can reveal early signs of long-term damage, allowing us to intervene before permanent changes occur. We may measure oxygen radicals in your exhaled breath to assess the type and severity of airway inflammation, and we often perform blood tests to check for signs of systemic inflammation. As the field of asthma treatment shifts toward prevention, our goal is to catch and control inflammation early, protecting your lungs now and for the future. Whenever possible, we offer same-day testing so you can start moving toward relief right away.
Asthma treatment has evolved significantly over the past five years. For decades, most patients received the same approach of steroids, whether inhaled or in pill form like prednisone, paired with bronchodilators to open the airways. While this method helped many, it wasn’t effective for everyone and often came with unwanted side effects.
Today's landscape looks quite different. The development of monoclonal antibody therapies has revolutionized asthma care by offering precision treatment tailored to specific types of lung inflammation. These advanced medications target the root causes of asthma rather than just managing symptoms. Selecting the right therapy requires the expertise of a physician trained in asthma immunology, someone who understands the different inflammatory pathways driving the disease. Newer treatments have also highlighted how traditional steroid-based approaches fall short for certain patients, reinforcing the need for a more personalized strategy.
If you're still struggling to breathe despite using your inhalers, it may be time to consult a specialist like Dr. Brian Modena and his experienced team. With more than a decade of asthma research and dozens of peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Modena is recognized nationally for his contributions to the field. He founded Modena Health to pursue his long-standing mission: uncovering the genetic origins, and ultimately a cure, for asthma. Today, his research integrates cutting-edge technologies like genetic sequencing and artificial intelligence to develop smarter, more effective treatment strategies tailored to each individual.
Lung function testing is recommended for anyone over the age of six and is a crucial part of effective asthma care. Most specialists agree that these tests should be a standard part of asthma diagnosis and treatment, as they often reveal important information that can significantly alter the course of therapy. Detecting early signs of reduced lung capacity allows for timely intervention, which is essential in preventing long-term damage and preserving respiratory health.
Allergy skin testing is a fast and straightforward procedure that’s often available on the same day as your visit. To ensure accurate results, patients should stop taking antihistamines at least six days before their appointment. Before your visit, the Modena Health team requests access to any prior medical records, testing, or treatment notes. To streamline your evaluation, please sign a medical records release form and contact your previous provider(s) to fax your records to our office at 858-260-2977.
At Modena Health, your asthma evaluation begins with a thorough medical history and symptom review. Our team will ask targeted questions to rule out other conditions that may mimic asthma, such as vocal cord dysfunction, bronchiectasis, or dysfunctional breathing. We’ll also explore any underlying or contributing factors, like acid reflux (GERD), which can silently worsen asthma symptoms. In many cases, simple lifestyle changes can significantly improve control without additional medications.
To identify allergy-related triggers, your doctor may recommend allergy skin testing. Lung function testing will be performed to assess how your asthma is affecting your breathing capacity and to measure inflammation in the lungs. Bloodwork is often ordered as well to identify markers of systemic inflammation. Once testing is complete, your physician will walk you through the results, explain the underlying mechanisms contributing to your symptoms, and develop a personalized treatment plan in collaboration with you that reflects your preferences, goals, and long-term health.
Problem: Asthma is a chronic condition caused by persistent inflammation in the small airways of the lungs. This inflammation doesn’t simply come and go. It lingers, leading to symptoms like coughing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and wheezing. Asthma can affect people of any age, and there are many different types, each with unique triggers and patterns.
Treatment: For decades, asthma treatment followed a one-size-fits-all approach: rescue inhalers for quick relief, and steroid inhalers or oral steroids like prednisone for inflammation. While effective in the short term, repeated steroid use, especially oral steroids, can cause serious side effects. In children, steroids may delay bone growth and reduce adult height. In adults, they can lead to weight gain, osteoporosis, diabetes, and increased susceptibility to infections.
Fortunately, asthma care has entered a new era. In the last five years, major advances have shifted the focus away from steroids and toward targeted biologic treatments, known as monoclonal antibody therapies. These cutting-edge therapies are designed to neutralize specific inflammatory pathways in the lungs, offering safer, more precise, and more effective options, especially for patients with moderate to severe asthma. Today’s approach is not just about symptom control; it’s about preventing long-term lung damage and preserving quality of life.
Why Participate in Asthma Research at Modena Health?
Led by Dr. Brian Modena, our team has spent over a decade advancing the science of asthma at some of the country’s leading medical institutions. From studying the human microbiome and asthma genetics to applying artificial intelligence and machine learning in clinical research, our work is on the cutting edge of respiratory medicine. Dr. Modena serves on national advisory boards and continues to lead multiple clinical trials here at Modena Health.
We are currently seeking volunteers for the NIMBLE clinical research study, which is enrolling participants 12 years or older who have been diagnosed with severe eosinophilic asthma and are already benefiting from Nucala® or Fasenra®. This study is evaluating a new investigational therapy to determine whether it provides similar or better asthma control compared to these current FDA-approved biologics.
If you’re interested in contributing to the future of asthma treatment and possibly benefiting from access to emerging therapies, we invite you to contact our team today. Simply click the button below to learn more.
While there is some trial and error involved with asthma care, Solana Beach patients often see improvements within days or weeks of being placed on the right therapy.
If you or your child are struggling with asthma that’s difficult to manage or disrupts daily life, it’s time to consult a specialist. At Modena Health in Solana Beach, Dr. Brian Modena and his expert team provide advanced, individualized asthma care backed by the latest research in precise therapies that reduce symptoms without the heavy side effects of traditional steroids.
Today’s care is not just more effective. It’s more proactive, with a focus on preserving long-term lung function and preventing future complications. Don’t let uncontrolled asthma limit your life. With the right guidance and treatment, you can breathe easier, feel stronger, and protect your respiratory health for years to come.
If your child relies on a rescue inhaler frequently, has needed oral steroids like prednisone in the past year, or struggles to breathe during physical activity or play, it may be time to consult an asthma specialist. Ongoing symptoms like these could indicate poorly controlled asthma that requires a more targeted and long-term treatment plan. At Modena Health, Dr. Modena and his team provide expert evaluation and advanced therapies to help your child breathe easier and stay active.
While some children, especially boys, may see their asthma symptoms improve or even disappear during adolescence, not all outgrow the condition. For many, asthma persists into adulthood and can lead to serious flare-ups that damage the lungs over time. These exacerbations can cause permanent reductions in lung function and ongoing breathing difficulties. That’s why every child with uncontrolled asthma should receive a thorough evaluation, including lung function testing, to ensure their condition is properly managed and their long-term health protected.
