Mind Meld Innovation Summit
FARE's Mind Meld Innovation Summit gathers leading scientists and immunology researchers to break down knowledge silos and boldly collaborate, to accelerate innovation in food allergy treatments and define the pathway to a cure for this disease.
We are not waiting. We will determine our future.
As part of FARE's ongoing commitment to convening scientific dialogues that galvanize the community, the Mind Meld Innovation Summit was held May 13–14, 2025, at the Ray and Maria Stata Center on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This landmark event was hosted by FARE and chaired by three leaders in food allergy or translational research: Nobel laureate Dr. Philip A. Sharp, Dr. M. Cecila Berin, and Dr. Corinne Keet.
Not Just a Meeting—A Call to Action
The Mind Meld Innovation Summit was convened in response to longstanding challenges and unmet needs in food allergy management, including the limited availability of satisfactory diagnostic tools, a lack of FDA-approved disease-modifying therapies, and minimal progress in population-level prevention.
The Summit challenged long-held assumptions about how food allergy research is conducted, who is involved, and what is possible. With its rigorous scientific discourse, collaborative spirit, and forward-thinking agenda, this event set the stage for a new chapter in food allergy research characterized by bold innovation and an unwavering focus on patient- and caregiver-level impact.
The Future of Food Allergy Research Starts Here
By investing in multidisciplinary, mechanistically driven, patient-focused research, the field can accelerate toward transformative change—and toward durable solutions that improve the lives of those with food allergy.
With the upcoming release of a targeted request for proposals (RFP) informed by the Summit’s insights, there is a unique opportunity to catalyze high-impact research that addresses longstanding gaps in food allergy care.
In Attendance
Attendees represented a diverse mix from academia, industry, and federal agencies, as well as MIT faculty and FARE team members. Their collective expertise spanned food allergy, general immunology, gastroenterology, systems biology, rheumatology, oncology, and therapeutic development.
This diverse group reflects the urgency and momentum behind food allergy innovation. Their multidisciplinary engagement was essential to catalyzing fresh thinking and defining actionable next steps for the field.
Brilliant Voices
FARE convened 19 presenters and 53 attendees, including a Nobel laureate and a MacArthur Fellow
Key Stakeholders
The Summit included individuals from 30 organizations, 3 government agencies, and 5 pharmaceutical companies
Rising Stars
Four out of the five 2025 recipients of our New Career and Mid-Career Investigator Awards were in attendance
About the Event
The Mind Meld Innovation Summit brought people together to foster multidisciplinary partnerships, with an event structure that focused on both breadth and depth.
Goals
- Break down silos between disciplines
- Position food allergy at the forefront of immunological research
- Accelerate timelines to treatment
Agenda
- The first set of sessions introduced foundational topics through concise presentations on food allergy pathophysiology, disease genetics, and available research models
- A "working lunch" keynote address focused on artificial intelligence (AI) in the context of healthcare, from diagnostics to drug discovery
- The second set of sessions was a forward-looking discussion of therapeutic targets, intended to identify opportunities prime for translation to patients
- To complement formal presentations, “5x3” presentations offered brief, three-slide talks by attendees highlighting novel ideas, tools, or potential collaborations
Food allergy is a life-threatening disease of the immune system and a silent public health epidemic.
Our Co-Chairs
Philip A. Sharp, PhD
Nobel laureate, Institute Professor and Professor of Biology Emeritus at MIT, FARE Special Advisor to the CEO
M. Cecilia Berin, PhD
Bunning Professor of Food Allergy Research, Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University
Corinne Keet, MD, PhD
Professor of Pediatrics, Vice Chair of Clinical and Translational Research, School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina
About the Venue
The Stata Center, designed by Frank Gehry, is one of the most iconic and unconventional buildings on the MIT campus. As critic Robert Campbell wrote, the Stata Center uses “architecture that embodies serious thinking about how people live and work and at the same time shouts the joy of invention.”
FARE's Annual Clinical Development Day
This event, which is by invitation only, convenes key stakeholders and presents insights and creates dialogues related to developing innovative therapeutics, diagnostics, and prevention strategies for food allergy.
Learn More