FARE is Proud of the Past Decade's Research Breakthroughs

May 11, 2022 (McLean, VA) – Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) is highlighting research breakthroughs on “Breakthrough Wednesday” during this year’s Food Allergy Awareness Week. Over the past decade, FARE has been instrumental in funding research projects that have focused on eradicating the suffering from food allergies. 

In the Spring of 2020, FARE awarded a three-year, $15 million grant to the Food Allergy Science Initiative (FASI) at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard to support a three-year project “Untangling Neuroimmune Communications in Food Allergy.” The grant was made possible by the extremely generous support and leadership of FARE Board of Governors member Christine Olsen and her husband Robert Small, with funds matched by FARE. This study brings together experts across disciplines to discover the underlying mechanisms of food allergies with the goal of unlocking the field and bringing new possibilities for diagnostics, prevention and treatment. Dr. Olsen became interested in food allergies after her son’s anaphylactic reaction to sesame at eight months of age. She worked with a group of parents to bring together scientists from a variety of disciplines to build a plan that led to the creation of FASI. FARE is grateful for this partnership with Dr. Olsen, FASI, and excited about what this study can do for food allergic people and families.

Another major research breakthrough has been the development of the FARE Patient Registry, the largest registry of food allergy patients in the U.S. Dr. Bruce Roberts, PhD, FARE’s Chief Research Strategy and Innovation Officer, is encouraged by the 51 institutions which are part of the FARE Clinical Network as they collaborate with leading food allergy researchers in the U.S. 

According to Dr. Roberts, “FARE is in a good position to advance new therapies, promote prevention approaches, champion the development of new diagnostic methods and overall make a positive impact in the food allergy arena.” Additionally, “FARE’s patient registry and data platform called the FARE Data Commons are expanding, and we are in a position to identify patients who may be eligible to participate in future clinical studies. These powerful resources allow our clinical partners to share and access privacy-protected data and collaborate to drive research forward.” 

For more information on food allergy research, please visit www.foodallergy.org.