AAAAI/World Allergy Organization meeting to spotlight impact of climate change on allergy
Key takeaways:
- Keynote and plenary sessions will take a closer look at climate change in the context of allergy.
- In preparation for the meeting, attendees should use the online planner and download the new smartphone app.
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology/World Allergy Organization Joint Congress will be held Feb. 28 to March 3 in San Diego with a focus on the relationship between climate change and allergic diseases.
Healio spoke with Julie Wang, MD, FAAAAI, chair of the annual meeting program committee, ahead of the congress to highlight this year’s theme, other topics of interest and what attendees can expect.
Climate change, allergic diseases
The official theme of this year’s AAAAI/WAO Joint Congress is “Climate Change and Allergic Diseases: Global Impact on Health,” and Wang told Healio that attendees can expect to see this theme in showcase talks throughout the meeting.
Two of four plenary sessions will discuss climate change and the environment. The first session, “Environmental Influences on the Microbiome: Impact on Allergic Diseases,” takes place on Friday, Feb. 28, and the second session, “How to Adapt the Practice of Allergy and Immunology to Climate Change,” takes place on Saturday, March 1.
Additionally, climate change is at the forefront of the Saturday afternoon keynote session. Lewis H. Ziska, PhD, associate professor in the environmental health sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, will speak on how climate change is impacting plant biology and what that means for allergists and patients with allergy.
“There will be more focus and attention on how climate change and allergy and immunology affect people around the globe,” Wang told Healio.
Following in line with the attention on global health, Wang said the congress will have more international attendees and speakers this year.
“The global element will hopefully be infused, not only into the knowledge that is being shared, but also in the different perspectives of speakers and attendees,” she said.
Additional topics
In addition to climate change, vaccine innovation and AI are other notable topics that will be highlighted during the meeting, Wang said.
Attendees interested in these topics should plan on attending the plenary session on Sunday, March 2, titled, “Ending Respiratory Viral Infections: The Quest for Vaccines,” as well as the plenary session on Monday, March 3, titled, “Changes to Asthma Management in an Ever-Changing World.”
Taking a step back and looking at the meeting program, Wang told Healio there is “something for everyone in terms of what their clinical and research interests are.”
“The educational program has about 200 sessions that will cover the full spectrum of allergy and immunology,” Wang said. “From basic science that underlies the diagnosis and therapy that we are using, to the translational science that brings lab discoveries to the bedside, to clinical science that helps us improve patient care and outcomes.”
Wang also stressed the importance of branching out and exploring unfamiliar topics while at the meeting.
“I encourage people to go to things they have a specific interest in, but also to broaden their own perspective by attending talks in topic areas that they don’t know as much about or have not yet delved into,” Wang told Healio.
Networking, planning your schedule
For attendees interested in getting involved with AAAAI, Wang recommends going to one of the “Get to Know the Interest Section” events taking place on Friday, Feb. 28, at 3:45pm PST. During this time, there will be a session for each of the eight AAAAI interest sections:
- Anaphylaxis, Dermatology and Drug Allergy;
- Asthma Diagnosis and Treatment;
- Basic and Clinical Immunology;
- Environmental and Occupational Respiratory Diseases;
- Food Allergy & Eosinophilic Disorders;
- Health, Equity, Technology & Quality;
- Immunotherapy, Rhinitis, Sinusitis and Ocular Diseases; and
- Mechanisms of Asthma and Allergic Inflammation.
“We’ve designed this to be an opportunity where attendees can learn more about specific interest sections, find out how they can become more involved and meet other people with shared allergy/immunology interests,” Wang told Healio.
Other notable networking events include the opening ceremony and welcome reception on Thursday, Feb. 27, and the AAAAI Foundation Run/Walk on Sunday, March 2.
In preparation for the meeting, Wang recommends that attendees put together a schedule using the online planner that has information/details on all sessions.
Additionally, attendees should download the new smartphone app for this year’s meeting, Wang said.
“The app is going to have the most up-to-date information about sessions and speakers,” Wang told Healio. “It’s going to allow access to handouts, and there’s functionality in the app to be able to interact with other attendees.”
More information on the app, as well as instructions, can be found here.
Overall, Wang said the AAAAI/WAO Joint Congress houses opportunity for both learning and networking.
“People can expect to learn about the latest research and developments that are impactful for patients and patient care,” she told Healio. “They can also expect to be engaged during interactive educational sessions, poster sessions and networking activities. Further, I hope the Joint Congress allows a good amount of time for people to reconnect with their colleagues and friends, as well as make new connections.”
The Healio team will be onsite in San Diego during AAAAI/WAO 2025. Follow our coverage of the meeting here and on X, formerly known as Twitter, @HealioAllergy.
References:
- 2025 AAAAI/WAO Joint Congress. https://annualmeeting.aaaai.org/. Accessed Feb. 7, 2025.
- AAAAI constituency groups. https://www.aaaai.org/professional-education/fellows-in-training/aaaai-constituency-groups. Accessed Feb. 7, 2025.
- AAAAI Foundation run/walk. https://www.aaaaifoundation.org/special-events/runwalk. Accessed Feb. 7, 2025.
For more information:
Julie Wang, MD, FAAAAI, can be reached at julie.wang@mssm.edu.