AllerGen Success Stories
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AllerGen researchers at McMaster featured in Globe and Mail Supplement
Foods that are harmless to most people may trigger anaphylaxis—a sudden, life-threatening reaction – in sensitized (or allergic) individuals. Dr. Manel Jordana and Dr. Susan Waserman, AllerGen investigators and professors at McMaster University, are trying to find out what causes the body’s immune system to respond inappropriately to certain foods, in particular peanuts— the most common cause of food-related anaphylaxis.
In a May 15th special supplement of The Globe and Mail newspaper on allergies and anaphylaxis, the researchers described their investigations into the causes of peanut allergy through experimentation on mice. The article can be read in full here.
AllerGen 2013 Scientific Meeting, King City, ON, June 7 to 10, 2013
The AllerGen Scientific Meeting brings together over 100 outstanding Canadian researchers and new professionals specializing in the areas of allergy, asthma and related immune diseases. The event shines a spotlight on scientific exchange which will help to catalyze new ideas, new collaborations, new commercialization opportunities, and new strategies to influence public policy, improve quality of life and contribute to a reduced morbidity, mortality and socioeconomic burden of allergy, asthma and anaphylaxis.
Dr. Claude Roy inducted into Canadian Medical Hall of Fame
Dr. Claude Roy, a pioneer of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, and a former member of AllerGen NCE’s Board of Directors, has been inducted into The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. Known as an outstanding researcher, clinician, teacher and mentor, Dr. Roy is a Professor Emeritus at the Université de Montréal and a gastroenterologist at CHU Sainte-Justine, the largest mother and child centre in Canada. His visionary research on infant nutrition, chronic liver disease in children, and gastrointestinal and hepatobilliary manifestations of Cystic Fybrosis, has helped children overcome severe illnesses and advanced the study of pediatric gastroenterology to a vibrant and valued medical subspecialty. Established in 1994, The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame—the only one of its kind in the world—is dedicated to celebrating medical heroes. On May 2, 2013, Dr. Roy was one of six of Canada's distinguished medical leaders inducted into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony in Halifax, N.S. Read about Dr. Roy and the other 2013 inductees at http://www.cdnmedhall.org/six-medical-heroes-have-been-inducted-hall-fame.
Dr. Claude Roy (centre) inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame
AllerGen HQP meet in Montréal
 Dr. Phil Gold speaks to AllerGen trainees |
AllerGen students and new professionals from across Canada attended the AllerGen Trainee Symposium, May 2-4, 2013 in Montréal, QC. This annual event is part of AllerGen’s strategic goal to create value-added opportunities for the training, education and professional development of Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) working in the field of allergy, asthma and anaphylaxis research. The symposium allows for skill and knowledge acquisition to enhance career development and complement academic and scientific training while fostering networking and collaboration among trainees and young professionals. In addition to dynamic workshops on presentation skills, the job search, reference letters and knowledge translation, the symposium facilitated face-to-face interactions with Montréal’s leading researchers and clinician-scientists. A highlight of the three-day symposium was an address by McGill University Professor and Canadian Medical Hall of Fame inductee, Dr. Phil Gold. |
AllerGen HQP from the University of Calgary
Taking ‘control’ on World Asthma Day
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Did you know?
World Asthma Day 2013 will be held on May 7, 2013. The theme of this year’s event, “You Can Control Your Asthma,” focuses on improving control of the disease and reducing hospitalizations for asthma worldwide. World Asthma Day is an annual awareness-raising event organized and sponsored by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). For more information about achieving asthma control and World Asthma Day, please visit http://www.ginasthma.org/World-Asthma-Day |
UBC and McGill professors shed light on food and environmental allergies during dynamic Café Scientifiques.
Allergy experts from two Canadian universities gave free public lectures, known as ‘Café Scientifiques,’ on April 29, 2013, in recognition of World Immunology Day.
In Vancouver, over 80 community members gathered at the Van Dusen Botanical Gardens to participate in the Café Scientifique, ‘Allergies-what can be done?’ Hosted by the Child & Family Research Institute and the CIHR Human Immunology Network, and co-sponsored by AllerGen NCE, the event offered refreshments, exhibitor displays and the opportunity for the public to interact with leading allergy researchers and clinicians. AllerGen researchers, Drs Stuart Turvey and Edmond Chan, along with University of British Columbia Clinical Instructor, Dr. Amin Kanani and moderator, Dr. Rusung Tan, discussed current advances in the fields of immunology and allergy and then opened the floor for an extensive question and answer period.
At the Café Scientifique, ‘Allergies-what are they all about?’ held in Montreal at the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Drs Christine McCusker and Mathieu Picard explored the facts and myths surrounding allergic disease in front of a standing-room only crowd. Co-sponsored by AllerGen NCE, the public outreach evening was presented by the McGill University Health Centre, Centre Hospitalier de L’université de Montréal and the CIHR Human Immunology Network.
A national research network, AllerGen is committed to supporting and fostering public engagement with researchers and clinician-scientists to improve the quality of life for Canadians impacted by allergic disease, asthma and anaphylaxis.
Café Scientifique in Montréal, April 29
Café Scientifique in Vancouver, April 29
Global climate change affecting pollen counts
An interview with Dr. Anne Ellis on Kingston morning radio show.
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Dr. Anne Ellis, an AllerGen investigator and an Associate Professor at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, spoke with the hosts of a local radio station about seasonal allergies. Dr. Ellis discussed how global climate change is affecting the amount of pollen we are exposed to, new research into cures for allergies and current treatments available for allergy sufferers. Listen to the interview at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-PGH0li55U |
Café Scientifiques to celebrate World Immunology Day, April 29, 2013
In recognition of World Immunology Day on April 29, 2013, AllerGen will cross the country to collaborate in two Café Scientifique events sponsored by the CIHR Human Immunology Network.
AllerGen will partner with the University of British Columbia and the Child & Family Research Institute to host a Café Scientifique – Allergies at Van Dusen Gardens in Vancouver, B.C. View the event flyer.
AllerGen will also collaborate with the McGill University Health Centre and other partners to host a Café Scientifique – Allergies at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Montréal, QC. View the event flyer.
Both of these Café Scientifiques will bring an outstanding panel of Canadian clinicians and researchers together with the local community to share and explore information about allergies.
AllerGen investigator interviewed on CBC Radio’s Metro Morning during World Allergy Week.
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On April 8, 2013, Dr. Susan Waserman, an AllerGen investigator and an allergist and clinical immunologist at McMaster University Medical Centre, spoke with Matt Galloway on CBC Radio’s Metro Morning during World Allergy Week. Dr. Waserman discussed why the prevalence of allergies is on the rise, particularly in North America and Europe, and answered questions on diagnosis, prevention and ongoing clinical research into allergies. Listen to the interview at cbc.ca |
Stop Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis campaign
The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) launched its Stop Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis campaign to enhance awareness of the prevalence of food allergy in the European community and highlight the increase in anaphylaxis, particularly in children.
The campaign runs from June 2012 to June 2013. As part of the initiative, the EAACI published a European Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Public Declaration and helpful educational materials, including a free Allergy Travel Card, Allergy Body Guide and Pollen Counts World Map.
View the Stop Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis campaign and its materials at http://infoallergy.com
April 8-14, 2013 is World Allergy Week
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World Allergy Week 2013, hosted by the World Allergy Organization (WAO), addresses the theme of “Food Allergy – A Rising Global Health Problem.” The prevalence of food allergy is rising, especially in children, in both developed and developing countries. In 2012, a nationwide study found that about 2.5 million Canadians, or one in every 13 people, suffer from a significant food allergy. This year, World Allergy Week highlights the need for greater awareness and understanding of food allergy as well as the exchange of ideas and collaboration in order to address a variety of safety and quality-of-life issues related to the care of patients with food sensitivity. Resources and information about World Allergy Week are available online at http://www.worldallergy.org |
Preventing children’s seasonal asthma spikes: What parents, teachers and the public need to know
AllerGen's Café Scientifique public forum on seasonal asthma spikes connected parents, educators and the community with experts on asthma and allergy.
Click here to read the Café Scientifique newsletter
Click here to view the video clips of the event
Free public lecture, The Global Allergy Epidemic, Nature & Nurture, April 6, 2013.
Almost one in three Canadians suffers from some allergic illness. Dr. Judah Denburg, Professor of Clinical Immunology & Allergy at McMaster University and Scientific Director of the allergy research network AllerGen, examines this ‘epidemic’ and provides insights into the relationship between individual and environmental factors.
Click here for information on the event.
AllerGen researchers find infant gut bacteria is influenced by delivery and feeding methods and may have long-term health effects
In an article published February 11, 2013 by the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), AllerGen trainee and postdoctoral fellow Dr. Meghan Azad, and AllerGen researcher Dr. Anita Kozyrskyj, University of Alberta, found that infant gut microbiota was influenced by method of delivery (vaginal vs. cesarean) and feeding method (breastfeeding vs. formula). Gut microbiota play a crucial role in the maturation of the immune system, as well as bodily functions such as digestion, excretion, and protection from infections. Alteration of microbiota during early life has been linked to chronic diseases such as asthma, allergies, cancer and type II diabetes.
Read the complete Press Release. English
Click here to see national and international media coverage.
AllerGen Emerging Clinician-Scientist Fellowship Award
AllerGen NCE Inc is pleased to announce that Dr. Philippe Bégin from the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) and the Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine (CHU Sainte-Justine) in Montreal, Quebec has been awarded the prestigious AllerGen Emerging Clinician-Scientist Research Fellowship Award in the amount of $250.000. This award is an innovative solution to the critical shortage of allergy and clinical immunology expertise in Canada and the need to enable newly trained Canadian Clinical Immunologists and Allergists to pursue allergy, asthma and anaphylaxis academic research training.
Read the complete Press Release. English | French
Café Scientifique
Thank you to everyone who attended AllerGen's third Café Scientifique - A public forum on Preventing children’s seasonal asthma spikes: What parents, teachers and the public need to know on Thursday November 29, 2012 at the Halton Regional Centre, Oakville, ON Canada.
We appreciated your feedback:
“Congratulations and bouquets to you and your organization team for putting together an outstanding information session for parents and educators. Everything, (the speakers, the food, the promotional information, sample resources and the very welcoming atmosphere you and your team provided to all who attended, was first class. I appreciated the opportunity of attending and learning much more about asthma and its effects on children and youth.”
“An excellent panel of experts, take home resources, open forum, food and drink”
“Thanks again for a great event.”
Thank you to our expert panelists, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Infection and Immunity and our community partners who helped make this event possible:
Related media to date include:
Stay tuned for the web video!
AllerGen will be attending:
Keystone Symposia on Lung Development, Cancer and Disease
February 5-10, 2013, Taos, New Mexico
EAACI Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Meeting
February 7-9, 2013, Nice, France
American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI)
February 22-26, 2013, San Antonio, Texas,
FOCIS - Advanced Course in Basic and Clinical Immunology
February 24-28, 2013 Scottsdale, Arizona
European Research Society's Lung Science Conference
March 15-17, 2013, Estoril, Portugal
12th Annual RE$EARCH MONEY Conference
Budget 2013: Checking the Pulse of Canada's Innovation Policies
April 9-10, 2013, National Arts Centre, Ottawa
AllerGen NCE Receives $36.5 million for Allergy, Genes and Environment Research to 2019
On Friday, March 23, 2012, during an announcement ceremony held at McMaster University, the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology announced Industry Canada support in the amount of $36.5 million for AllerGen NCE Inc. to 2019.
“The Government of Canada is committed to improving the lives of all Canadians. While we believe that prevention and health care promotion will help keep health costs down and improve our quality of life, we also understand that investing in science and technology will not only achieve these objectives, but will also contribute to economic growth” said the Minister.
ALLERGEN DOCUMENT DOWNLOADS
AllerGen Travel and Expense reimbursement form. DOWNLOAD
AllerGen Standard NCE Network Agreement. DOWNLOAD
Appendix A2 Standard NCE Network Agreement. DOWNLOAD