Food Allergy Research & Education Partners with AAAAI to Attract Gifted Investigators to the Field of Food Allergy
McLean, VA (PRWEB) March 03, 2014 -- At the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) this weekend, AAAAI announced that Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) has contributed $50,000 to help launch a fund that will provide a perpetual source of support for research in allergy, asthma and immunologic diseases. As the nation’s leading organization working on behalf of the 15 million Americans with food allergy, FARE is committed to partnering with AAAAI, a professional organization with more than 6,700 members worldwide, to attract the most talented investigators to the field.
FARE’s gift will help establish the Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Education and Research Organization, Inc.’s (ARTrust™) $4 million Donald Leung and JACI Editors Allergy/Immunology Research Fund. The ARTrust is a supporting organization to the AAAAI with a mission to find treatments and cures for the millions of people suffering from allergies, asthma and other immunologic diseases by supporting education and research.
The fund’s name recognizes the achievements of Dr. Donald Y. M. Leung, editor-in-chief The Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (JACI), the most highly cited journal in the field. Dr. Leung is also a past chairman of FARE’s Research Advisory Board, the expert panel that reviews applications for FARE research grants. Currently, the two leading contributors to the fund are FARE and Steve & Nancy Carell.
“As the world’s largest private source of funding for food allergy research, FARE is proud to join with AAAAI to advance quality, cutting-edge research worthy of publication in JACI,” said John L. Lehr, chief executive officer of FARE. “With federal funding constrained, we cannot afford to lose the tremendous momentum we have gained in understanding food allergy and developing life-saving new treatments. That is why one of the most important goals of FARE’s strategic plan for food allergy research is to ensure that the best and the brightest investigators – from promising young fellows to brilliant minds from other disciplines – enter and remain in the field.”
FARE also hosted a reception for food allergy investigators at this year’s AAAAI Annual Meeting. Researchers at all stages of their careers learned about the organization’s research grant program and its strategic plan, “A Vision and Plan for Food Allergy Research,” which aims to create a deep scientific understanding of the disease and to develop safe, practical therapies that will protect individuals with food allergies from life-threatening reactions.
FARE and AAAAI have routinely partnered on key initiatives to advance the field of food allergy. In 2013, President Obama signed into law the federal School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act, which was championed by FARE and endorsed by AAAAI. In addition, since 2008, FARE has funded the AAAAI/Food Allergy Research & Education Howard J. Gittis Memorial Fellowship/Instructor Research Awards, which aim to shape the next generation of food allergy investigators. The recipient of the 2014 Gittis Award, who will be selected by an AAAAI committee, will be announced within the coming weeks.
Details about the Donald Leung and JACI Editors Allergy/Immunology Research Fund are available at http://www.aaaai.org/global/ARTrust/leung-fund.aspx.
For more information about FARE’s strategic plan and research grants, visit http://www.foodallergy.org/research.
ABOUT FARE
Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) works on behalf of the 15 million Americans with food allergies, including all those at risk for life-threatening anaphylaxis. This potentially deadly disease affects 1 in every 13 children in the U.S. – or roughly two in every classroom. Formed in 2012 as a result of a merger between the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network and the Food Allergy Initiative, FARE’s mission is to find a cure for food allergies, and to keep individuals safe and included. We do this by investing in world-class research that advances treatment and understanding of the disease, providing evidence-based education and resources, undertaking advocacy at all levels of government and increasing awareness of food allergy as a serious public health issue. For more information, please visit http://www.foodallergy.org.
Nancy Gregory, Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), http://www.foodallergy.org, +1 703-563-3066, [email protected]
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