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Nonprofit group awards food allergy research grants
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The nonprofit Food Allergy Research and Education has awarded multiyear grants for education and or clinical research on the mechanisms and treatment of food allergies, according to a press release.
“This growing public health issue is in urgent need of talented investigators who can help to accelerate advancements in food allergy research and treatment,” James R. Baker Jr., MD, CEO and chief medical officer of FARE, said in the release.
The grants are separated into two categories: one for individuals entering their third or fourth year of fellowship training and the other for individuals who have completed research in other areas but want to commence research in food allergy.
The New Investigator Awards support the development of an academic research career by providing $75,000 per year for 2 years. The recipients are:
- Jessica O’Konek, PhD, of the University of Michigan, who will study the modulation of food allergy responses with nanoemulsion-based allergy vaccines. She hopes to explore the possibility of providing protection against anaphylaxis with intranasal administration of nanoemulsion combined with egg or peanut antigens; and
- Duane Wesemann, MD, PhD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Wesemann seeks to identify the extent to which primary immunoglobulin repertoires can be influenced by microbial and dietary exposures early in life and examine how modified exposures can reduce allergic response to food.
The Mid-Career Investigators Awards present recipients with $150,000 per year for up to 5 years to provide support for intensive research experiences in acquiring new capabilities within the FARE mission. The recipients are:
- Simon Hogan, PhD, of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Hogan’s current work focuses on identifying the key proteins and cells that cause the blood vessel fluid leak leading to severe anaphylaxis triggered by foods;
- Michiko Oyoshi, PhD, of Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Oyoshi will explore the role of maternal antibodies transferred to babies through breast milk in inducing oral tolerance in children; and
- Erik Wambre, PhD, of Benaroya Research Institute in Seattle. His focus will be on the specific T-cell responses to peanut allergic components to determine the cellular and molecular mechanism associated with peanut sensitization, plus those that lead to restoration and maintenance of protective responses.