Dr. Jim Harris to Speak on MCAS at Penn State EDS Symposium

Jim Harris, MD, Medical Director of The EDS Clinic, will speak at the Fourth Annual Penn State EDS and HSD Patient Engagement and Global Collaboration Research Symposium on Thursday, November 12, 2026.

Dr. Harris will present “MCAS in the EDS/HSD Patient.” He will bring a perspective shaped by decades of experience in allergy and immunology and by caring for thousands of patients with complex conditions, including Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

The free hybrid event will be held in person at the Penn State Health University Conference Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and online. Patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, researchers, advocates, and interested colleagues are invited to attend.

A conference focused on EDS and HSD comorbidities

This year’s symposium theme is “Between the Stripes: Focusing on the Comorbidities.” The program reflects the reality that EDS and HSD can involve concerns extending beyond joint hypermobility. Patients may need support from professionals across multiple areas of medicine, rehabilitation, nutrition, research, and disability accommodation.

Scheduled topics include autonomic dysfunction, pain, pelvic health, accommodations for school and work, nutrition, genetics and biomarkers, gastrointestinal disorders, pulmonary complications, bleeding and anemia, surgical outcomes, pediatrics, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), and biomechanics.

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How to attend the 2026 Penn State EDS/HSD symposium

The symposium is free, with both in-person and virtual attendance options. In-person space is limited, and registration closes November 1, 2026.

Event details*

• Date: Thursday, November 12, 2026
• Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern
• Location: Penn State Health University Conference Center, 30 Conference Drive, Hershey, PA 17033
• Format: In person and virtual
• Cost: Free
• Registration deadline: November 1, 2026

*Event details are current as of September 10, 2026 and may be updated by the organizer.

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Register for the 2026 Ehlers-Danlos/Hypermobile Spectrum Disorder Research Conference.

Patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, researchers, and advocates are encouraged to register and join this day of education, discussion, and collaboration.

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Dr. Harris’s session: MCAS in the EDS/HSD patient

Mast cell activation syndrome, commonly called MCAS, is a condition in which mast cells release chemical mediators inappropriately, potentially causing symptoms in more than one body system. Diagnosing and managing suspected mast cell activation can be complex because symptoms vary and may overlap with those of other conditions.

In his presentation, Dr. Harris will address MCAS in the context of EDS and HSD. The topic is especially relevant to patients and clinicians trying to understand complex, multisystem symptoms while keeping each condition and its diagnostic requirements distinct.

The session title does not imply that everyone with EDS or HSD has MCAS, or that one condition necessarily causes the other. Instead, it places mast cell activation within the conference’s broader examination of comorbidities that may be encountered in EDS and HSD care.

Planned speakers for the 2026 Penn State EDS/HSD symposium

The planned speaker roster brings together clinicians, researchers, therapists, dietitians, patient-engagement leaders, and advocates with experience across EDS, HSD, and associated conditions. Speakers include:

• Rebecca Bascom, MD, MPH: Welcome and pulmonary implications in EDS and HSD
• Alan Pocinki, MD, FACP: Autonomic dysfunction in EDS and HSD
• Deb McCowan, PT: Pain neuroscience, research, and functional measures in EDS
• Neyha Cherin, DO: Pelvic pain in EDS and HSD
• Laura Jacobs, DPT: Pelvic-floor health
• Kathleen Zonarich, PT: Accommodations for school and work
• Jim Harris, MD: “MCAS in the EDS/HSD Patient”
• Sarah Monger, MS, RDN, LDN: Nutrition for people with EDS and HSD
• Cortney Gensemer, PhD: Genetics and biomarkers in EDS
• Zac Spiritos, MD, MPH: Neurogastroenterology in EDS
• Lara Bloom: Updates from The Ehlers-Danlos Society
• Clair A. Francomano, MD: Rarer types of EDS and the EDS/HSD Biobank
• Peter Cygan, MD: Anemia and bleeding
• Jane R. Schubart, MBA, MS, PhD: Orthopedic surgical outcomes and considerations before surgery
• Ina Stephens, MD: Pediatric care
• Amanda J. Miller, PhD: POTS
• Mark Lavallee, MD, CSCS, FACSM, FAMSSM: EDS and sports medicine
• Alan Hakim, MA, FRCP: Hereditary connective-tissue disorders

By bringing these perspectives together, the symposium offers participants an opportunity to learn about EDS and HSD through a multidisciplinary lens. The event is presented by the Penn State Ehlers-Danlos Patient Research Advisory Group and the Central Pennsylvania EDS Clinician Interest Group, organizations whose work emphasizes collaboration among patients, clinicians, and researchers.

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The EDS Clinic: Doctors serving Pennsylvania

The EDS Clinic provides telehealth evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment for people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, hypermobility spectrum disorder, mast cell activation syndrome, POTS, and related complex conditions. Patients located in Pennsylvania can currently request care with Jim Harris, MD, or Frank Lichtenberger, MD, PhD.

Because The EDS Clinic provides care through telehealth, eligible Pennsylvania patients can meet with these physicians from home. Provider availability and state licensure may change, so prospective patients should confirm current options when requesting an appointment.

About Dr. Jim Harris

Jim Harris, MD, is the Medical Director of The EDS Clinic. He is board certified in Allergy and Immunology. Dr. Harris has provided clinical care for thousands of patients with EDS and MCAS.

Dr. Harris’s current clinical work focuses on mast cell activation disease and its intersection with EDS, HSD, POTS, gastrointestinal symptoms, histamine intolerance, migraine, and other complex conditions. His extensive clinical experience gives him a practical view of how overlapping symptoms can complicate evaluation and ongoing care.

He has decades of experience caring for generations of families with a wide range of immunological conditions, and he has conducted or participated in nearly 300 research studies. He earned his medical degree from the University of Iowa College of Medicine, where he also completed his pediatrics residency and Allergy and Immunology fellowship. He is also board certified in Pediatrics and has presented educational sessions for organizations including Dysautonomia International and The Ehlers-Danlos Society.

His participation in the Penn State symposium continues that commitment to improving education and multidisciplinary understanding around EDS, HSD, MCAS, and related conditions.

About Dr. Frank Lichtenberger

Frank Lichtenberger, MD, PhD, is a board-certified allergist and immunologist specializing in complex immune disorders, including EDS and MCAS. He completed his Allergy and Immunology fellowship in mast cell biology at the National Institutes of Health Laboratory of Allergic Diseases and has more than 20 years of clinical and research experience.

Dr. Lichtenberger’s practice focuses on the intersection of allergic, immunological, and rheumatological conditions. His areas of experience include MCAS, systemic mastocytosis, hereditary alpha-tryptasemia, primary and secondary immunodeficiencies, and complex multisystem presentations. He is also board certified in Internal Medicine and has served as an immunology consultant for the NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program.