2018 Food Allergy Gordon Research Conference

Project Summary / AbstractAs the importance of food allergy gains global awareness, this first Food Allergy Gordon ResearchConference will focus uniquely on food-allergen-specific immune function in health and disease. In the past 15years, more than 9,500 articles have been published in food allergy. Nonetheless, these developments have yetto change the standard of clinical care for food allergy: complete avoidance of the allergenic food. The pressingneed for effective therapies for food allergy can only be met by developing a deeper and more comprehensiveunderstanding of immune mechanisms. We aim to amplify the increasing momentum of research advances infood allergy with this new GRC focused specifically on its basic and translational aspects from diverse disciplinaryperspectives. Leading researchers from around the world with expertise in immunology, molecular and cellbiology, and computational biology who are interested in understanding healthy and food-allergic immunefunction will be featured, including those who study emerging problems such as the role of the microbiome infood allergy, and the mechanisms of desensitization achieved through emerging therapies such as oralimmunotherapy. This five-day international scientific conference encouraging free discussion—often ofunpublished research—aims to provide cross-fertilization and collaboration among researchers in relevant fields,and will help to develop and integrate this rapidly evolving field. Our Specific Aims are: 1) Establish and maintaina dedicated forum to integrate the efforts of researchers across fields and across the globe; 2) Build a diverse,global community of scientists in a variety of disciplines whose research advances basic and mechanisticresearch in food allergy; and 3) Mentor early career investigators, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students,women and minorities, in food allergy research. The inaugural, innovative Food Allergy Gordon ResearchConference is designed to meet these aims, to promote cross-fertilization and collaboration among researchersin a variety of disciplines around the globe, towards integrating the emerging field of food allergy research. If theaims of the Food Allergy Gordon Research Conference are achieved, the impact of this new GRC series will beto integrate, strengthen and grow this exciting frontier of basic and translational research, fostering the inclusionof new and underrepresented researchers.