Annual Update on Allergies & Asthma 2021

View our Center's latest information on scientific advances, philanthropic impacts, community connections, clinical impacts, global visions and funding needs.

Please download a copy HERE.

NorCal Symposium on Climate, Health, and Equity!

Join us for our 2nd annual symposium for health professionals and students invested in climate justice.

Date: Friday, September 24th, 2021
Time: 12-6pm PDT

Please visit our website for more infomation HERE.

"Hot Topics in Food Allergy Research" - Dr. Aikaterini Anagnostou, MD, (Hons) MSc PhD

Presenter: Dr. Aikaterini Anagnostou, MD, (Hons) MSc PhD

Associate Professor of Pediatric Allergy
Director, Food Immunotherapy Program
Co-Director, Food Allergy Program
Director, Food Challenge Program
Lead, Adolescent Transition for Allergy
Immunology, Allergy and Rheumatology
Texas Children's Hospital
Baylor College of Medicine

DATE: Tuesday, July 13, 2021

TIME: 12:00PM-1:00PM PT

"The Role of IgA in Food Allergy" - Dr. Stephanie C. Eisenbarth, MD, PhD

Presenter: Dr. Stephanie C. Eisenbarth, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Laboratory Medicine,
Immunobiology, Immunology;
Associate Chair of Research, Laboratory
Medicine; Assistant Director of Clinical
Pathology Residency Program at
Yale University School of Medicine

DATE: Tuesday, June 22, 2021

TIME: 12:00PM-1:00PM PT

Annual Update on Allergies & Asthma 2020

View our Center's latest information on scientific advances, philanthropic impacts, community connections, clinical impacts, global visions and funding needs.

Please download a copy HERE.

JACI IN-PRACTICE: Advancing Food Allergy Through Epidemiology:Understanding and Addressing Disparities in FoodAllergy Management and Outcomes

Did you know that food allergies disproportionately impact Black and Latinx families? A newly published article by researchers at our center describes the important role that epidemiology plays in understanding and addressing racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in food allergy outcomes. Click here to read it: https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1c10C7tEbbCn9e

The Sean N Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research is committed to promoting health equity through its research, education, outreach, and advocacy on behalf of the communities most impacted by allergies, asthma, COVID-19, and wildfires.

Monthly Webinar Series - Novel Therapies in Food Allergy

DATE: Thursday, March 11th 2020 (Occures every 2nd Thursday of the month)

TIME: 12:30AM-1:00PM P

Guest Speakers: Dr Natali Aziz, Dr Irogue I Igbinosa

Registration: https://stanford.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_c9ng5XcaT7mDP7iNJY5Sag

For more information, click here

Dr. Antoine Deschildre’s talk on, "French Data on Asthma and Food Allergy"

DATE: Tuesday, September 29^th, 2020

TIME: 11:00AM-12:00PM PDT

LOCATION: Virtual ZOOM

For more information, click here

Presentation: Dr. Rasika Ann Mathias, Sc.D.

Please join us for a presentation on "Dissecting the genetic components of food allergy".

DATE: Monday, April 27th, 2020 TIME: 3:30PM-4:30PM

LOCATION: 318 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305

For more information, click here

Presentation: Dr. Harald Renz, MD

Please join us for a presentation on "The concept of biodiversity and inflammatory resilient: Environmental microbes and allergy/asthma protection"

DATE: Tuesday, March 10th, 2020 TIME: 11:00AM-12:00PM

LOCATION: LK306 at LKSC (291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305)

For more information, click here

Presentation: Dr. Scott Smith, Ph.D., M.D.

Please join us for a presentation on Generation of Human IgE mAbs for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Use.

DATE: Monday, February 24th, 2020 TIME: 3:30PM-4:30PM

LOCATION: ALWAYM214 at (300 Pasteur Dr, Stanford, CA 94305)

For more information, click here

MCHRI Seminar Series

The MCHRI Seminar Series highlight compelling clinical topics, innovative research, and the latest developments in maternal and child health, and serves as a forum for engaging in conversations with other researchers and scientists across the community. 

Featured seminar speaker: Kari Nadeau, M.D., Ph. D

Please join us for a seminar on Ways to Prevent, Diagnose, and Treat Children with Food Allergies, hosted by the Maternal & Child Health Research Institute at Stanford Medicine.

Date: February 3rd, 2020. Time: Noon-1:00 P.M.

Location: TBD. 

Registration link coming soon

More seminars will be added to the schedule! For questions about registration, please contact Roxanna Van Norman.

For more information about MCHRI Seminar Series, click here

Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine team up to create new Post-doctoral Fellowship in Planetary Health

Stanford University’s Center for Innovation in Global Health and the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, together with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine‘s Centre on Climate Change & Planetary Health, have joined forces to create a new Post-doctoral Fellowship in Planetary Health to support early-career researchers tackling pressing questions in this emerging field.

Annual Update on Allergies & Asthma 2019

View our Center's latest information on scientific advances, philanthropic impacts, community connections, clinical impacts, global visions and funding needs. Download here

Lucile Packard Children's Hospital - Julia and David Koch Make Visionary $10 Million Gift to Establish New Clinical Research Unit for Allergy and Asthma 

Julia and David Koch have announced a generous gift of $10 million to establish a new unit at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford for clinical research in 2017. The unit will operate within the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University, which is home to the groundbreaking allergy and asthma clinical trials led by Kari Nadeau, MD, PhD. Thanks to the Koch's generous gift, Dr. Nadeau and her team expaned their clinical research to a redesigned unit within Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford in April 2019! 

Read the full story here

Stanford BMI Building Construction

The BioMedical Innovations Building (BMI) will help the School of Medicine to translate medical research discoveries into treatments and cures. The school’s long range plan calls for the demolition of the four aging E.D. Stone Complex Buildings – Grant, Alway, Lane and Edwards (GALE) with BMI being the replacement for Grant, the first building to be demolished. The new building will be approximately 215,500 sf with four above-grade floors of research labs and lightfilled gathering places, and a lower basement level with reduced functional square footage for utility support. A connective tunnel to other nearby research facilities is part of the proposed design.

Our Center has plans to utilize laboratory space in the building after its opening. Our colleagues visited the construction site in February 2019 - see their photos here

Burn: Wildfires, Deforestation, and Planetary Health

Wildfires are predicted to increase 30-50% by 2040. Agricultural burning is also on the rise. Fire exposure increases respiratory symptoms, respiratory emergency department visits, strokes, and heart attacks. There is an urgent need to formulate a call to action with international/local scientists across different disciplines, non-profit organizations, policy makers, and community groups to preserve forests and protect health.

Organized and moderated by Kari Nadeau, with speakers including Ruth DeFries, John Balmes, Tasso Azevedo, and Alison Wolff

Date: Friday, September 6 , 2019 2:05-3:05PM 

Location: Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center, McCaw Hall

Address: 326 Galvez St, Stanford, CA 94305

To view the highlights from the conference, download here.

iSPI PEDS 2040 Meeting 2019

Dr. Sharon Chinthrajah was an invited speaker at the annual iSPI Pediatrics 2040 Meeting in Huntington Beach, California. 

For more photos, click here

Medicine Grand Rounds

Please join us for a presentation on: Mechanisms of Prevention and Therapy in Food Allergy

Featured seminar speaker: Kari Nadeau, M.D., Ph.D

Date: Wednesday, August 21, 2019. Time: 8:00 A.M.-9:00 A.M.

Location: Li Ka Shing Learning Center (LKSC) Berg Hall on the 2^nd Floor

ADDRESS: 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305

For more information about Stanford Medicine Grand Rounds, click here.

Summer Scamper 2019

We invite you to come together Sunday, June 23, 2019, as a community and support allergy and asthma research at Stanford! Whether you live around the block or around the world, you can be part of the Lucile Packard Foundation’s 9th Annual Scamper and bring us one step closer to finding a cure for allergies and asthma.

Please join us for our biggest community outreach and fundraising event of the year by participating in one of three ways:

1.  There's still time to Register to walk or run as part of the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy & Asthma Research at Stanford University Team on Sunday, June 23rd at 8:00 am (Registration begins at 6:30 am). Held at the beautiful Stanford University campus in Palo Alto, CA, this 5k, 10k, and kid’s fun run is a great way to meet others in the allergy and asthma community, as well as Center staff members, while demonstrating your support. We will also provide Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy & Asthma Research at Stanford University t-shirts for our runners and walkers (as supplies last).
 
2. Can’t race in person? Simply register here and designate yourself as a virtual racer. You will have your own fundraising page in support of the Center and the same opportunities to win fundraising prizes as other Summer Scamper participants, without putting on your running shoes.
 
3. Donate directly to the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy & Asthma Research at Stanford University Team by making an online gift in support of the Center. Contributions of any size are appreciated — together, we can change and save lives. All the funds we raise will directly support the Center. Thank you for your support!

Presentation: Dr. Mary Rice, MD, MPH 

Please join us for a presentation on The Science of Climate and Air Pollution: What Doctors Should Know, hosted by the Stanford University’s Medicine Grand Rounds.

DATE: Wednesday, June 12, 2019    TIME: 8:00-9:00AM

LOCATION: LKSC at Berg Hall on 2nd Floor, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305

For more information, click here

Presentation: Dr. Aaron Bernstein, MD, MPH

Please join us for a presentation on Climate Change: What Every Pediatrician Needs to Know, hosted by the Stanford University’s Pediatric Grand Rounds.

DATE: Friday, May 24, 2019    TIME: 8:00-9:00AM

LOCATION: 1st floor Freidenrich Auditorium at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford, CA.

For more information, click here

Stanford Sierra: 25th Annual Healthy Living Retreat for Women

Get away to spectacular Fallen Leaf Lake, May 16-19, 2019 for a fun, educational and restorative weekend with Stanford and Bay Area health experts. Attend lectures and hands-on workshops to learn the latest scientific information on women's wellness, then head outdoors for a hike or sail, or simply kick back with a glass of wine. Presented by the Stanford Health Improvement Program within the Stanford University School of Medicine.

The retreat will take place at Fallen Leaf Lake on May 16-19, 2019.

For more information, click here

Human Immune Monitoring Technology and Bioinformatics Conference

ITI and Center for Human Systems Immunology (Gates) at Stanford: Human Immune Monitoring Technology and Bioinformatics Conference

This conference took place on May 2-3, 2019.

Location: Berg Hall, Li Ka Shing, Stanford University.

For more information, click here

Presentation: Dr. Monica Kraft, MD

Please join us for a presentation from an internationally renowned physician-scientist who specializes in translational asthma research.

The presentation will take place on Monday, April 29, 2019, at 3:30PM - 4:30PM PST

Location: Li Ka Shing Learning Center (LKSC) - Room LK102 (291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305).

For more information, click here

Severe Asthma: Novel Concepts & Therapeutics Symposium

This symposium will focus on novel insights into the pathophysiology of severe asthma and offer perspectives on potential new therapeutic opportunities.

The symposium will take place on April 26, 2019, 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM EST.

Register at nyas.org/SevereAsthma2019

For more information, click here

AAAAI Annual Meeting 2019

The 2019 AAAAI Annual Meeting in San Francisco focused on one of the most prevalent topics in allergy/immunology: food allergy. The meeting took place on February 22-25, 2019.

For more information about the meeting, click here

Many of our colleagues set up posters at the meeting and presented about current topics in allergy and immunology. To see their photos, click here

Presentation from the renowned immunologists from Harvard

Drs. Hans Oettgen and Talal Chatila visited us at Stanford University to give their talks about current topics in immunology.

This event occurred on Thursday, February 21st, 2019, at 12:30-1:30PM at LK306 (Li Ka Shing Learning Center) 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305

For more information, click here

Research & Practice Winter Lecture Series Planetary Health: Wildfires & Human Health (Dr. Kari Nadeau)

The unfortunate increase in wildfires in association with climate change has only augmented the impact of air pollution on health in many areas of the country. Overall, wildfires have resulted in increased strokes, heart attacks, asthma attacks and respiratory disorders.

During the presentation, Dr. Kari Nadeau discussed her research at Stanford, in which she investigates the impact of wildfires on health, focusing on the immune system and associated allergic disease.

This presentation took place on February 20, 2019 at 5PM.

To view her presentation slides, click here

FARE+Well December 2018 Newsletter

We are happy to share with you our December 2018 issue of the FARE+Well newsletter. Inside, you’ll learn about a new direction FARE is taking in the next five years to support food allergy families and reach out to their communities. The initiative we’re launching this month, the Contains: Courage™ Campaign, will generate historic levels of funding for food allergy research to yield effective therapies and treatments, and ultimately find a cure.

View the newsletter here

Stanford IntroSem Excellence Awards Ceremony 2018

Each academic year, faculty nominate exemplary student projects for an introductory seminars excellence award. All winners are invited to an annual spring awards ceremony that celebrates the diverse and innovative learning experiences across all introductory seminar courses.

This year Rishabh Kapoor, an undergraduate in biology, won the award in 2018 for Conjunct Intrathecal and Systemic Administration of Antisense Oligonucleotides (ASO) As an Enhanced Therapeutic Regimen for Spinal Muscular Atrophy. He completed this project in Profs. Nadeau and Freeland’s Winter 2017-2018 IntroSem, Translational Research: Turning Science into Medicine (MED 50N). Congratulations are in order for Rishabh! His hard work and dedication have been showcased and rewarded.

Pictured are Dr. Kari Nadeau and Rishabh Kapoor, at the awards celebration that occurred on January 24, 2019. For more information about the Excellence Awards, click here here

Global Climate Action Summit 2018

Thousands of leaders from nations, subnational governments, businesses, the investor community and nongovernmental organizations came together to step up ambition and address the existential threat of climate change with bold action.

Our Center's team was part of leading and speaking at this summit. Read more about the summit by clicking here

Groundbreaking Phase 3 trial of oral immunotherapy in children and adolescents who were highly allergic to peanut

• Results from a phase 3 clinical trial of AR101, a highly characterized, pharmaceutical-grade, peanut OIT formulation are now published in the New England Journal of Medicine. AR101, developed by Aimmune Therapeutics, is designed to provide consistent dosing of the major allergenic peanut proteins (Ara h1, Ara h2, and Ara h6). The Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University was one of the Centers at which the study was performed and this study builds on the phase 1 and 2 studies we and others have done around the world. Children and adolescents who were included in the study were highly allergic to peanuts. After one year of therapy, 67% of those treated with AR101 tolerated approximately 2 peanuts without dose-limiting symptoms compared to 4% treated with placebo. Patients also had lower symptom severity during peanut exposure at the exit food challenge than placebo.
• Read more in the New York Times and on CNN.

Advances in Immunotherapy for Multiple Food Allergens: Research Partnership with UCLA

About 40% of children with food allergies have multiple allergies. Recently published study results of OIT in multi-allergic patients are promising, but we continue to have important questions regarding durability of desensitization. To better answer some of these questions, we have partnered with UCLA to conduct a multi-OIT trial with omalizumab. 

Research Collaboration with Mayo Clinic's Arizona Campus: Working Together on a Cure for Eosinophilic Esophagitis 

In order to understand the associations between food allergies, OIT, and EoE, the Center is collaborating with Drs. Matthew Rank and Benjamin Wright of Mayo Clinic’s Arizona Campus. Both research teams are very excited about working together to better understand EoE.

Using CRISPR Technology for Allergy and Asthma

A new collaboration with Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) to use their CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology and the Alt-R® Human Kinase Library may enable discovery of new druggable targets for allergy.

The Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University was honored to host the 2nd Annual State of the Center Forum

On April 26, 2018, the Center was honored to host the 2nd Annual State of the Center Forum for the community - including patients, parents and clinicians. Dr. Kari Nadeau, Dr. Tina Sindher, Dr. Stephen Galli, Dr. Nielsen Fernandez-Becker, Marté Matthews, Andrew Long and Whitney Block provided the audience with in-depth presentations on allergy, asthma and related GI disorders. The talks included discussion of recent food allergy results, emerging diagnostics, Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE), coping with the emotional impact of food allergy, potential biologics and therapies, and recruiting trials.

In Conversation: Mary Prunicki, MD, PhD, NIH Career Re-entry Scientist

We are very fortunate to have Dr. Prunicki working towards understanding the effects of air pollution on allergy and asthma and overall immune health. Her daughters' food allergies positively impacted her career path more than she anticipated.

Drug Increases Speed, Safety of Treatment for Multiple Food Allergies

Combining an antibody drug, omalizumab, with a procedure to desensitize children to multiple food allergies is safe and effective, according to a new study by Center researchers, published online Dec. 11 in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology.

THE SEAN N. PARKER CENTER FOR ALLERGY AND ASTHMA RESEARCH AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY IS DESIGNATED A WORLD ALLERGY ORGANIZATION CENTER OF EXCELLENCE

In November 2017, the World Allergy Organization (WAO) designated the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research Center at Stanford University a WAO Center of Excellence. 

Expanding Access to the Underserved

The burden of asthma and allergy disproportionately affects those at a lower economic status deepening existing inequities. Although ethnicity and genetics explain some of the differences in asthma and allergy prevalence and severity among populations, socioeconomic factors seem to explain most of these differences. Through generous contributions from those who share our vision, the Center has been able to initiate and implement a number of programs for the underserved.

In Conversation: Dr. Sayantani (Tina) Sindher and Tips on Antihistamine Use

We welcome Dr. Tina Sindher to the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy & Asthma Research at Stanford University. She joined our team in January 2017 and is very excited about expanding her clinical research in food allergies at the Center. She also has important advice to share regarding antihistamine use in patients with food allergies.

Julia and David Koch Make Visionary $10 Million Gift to Establish New Clinical Research Unit for Allergy and Asthma at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University

On February 15, 2017, Julia and David Koch announced a generous gift of $10 million to establish a new unit at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford for clinical research. The unit will operate within the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University, which is home to the groundbreaking allergy and asthma clinical trials led by Kari Nadeau, MD, PhD.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine release comprehensive report on Food Allergy

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened an expert, ad hoc committee to examine critical issues related to food allergy. The resulting report, released on November 30, 2016, Finding a Path to Safety in Food Allergy: Assessment of the Global Burden, Causes, Prevention, Management, and Public Policy, collects and evaluates the scientific evidence on the prevalence, origins, diagnosis, prevention, and management of food allergy and makes recommendations to policy makers, industry leaders, and others to bring about a safe environment for those with food allergy.

Wheat Hypersensitivities

Celiac disease, wheat allergy, and non-celiac wheat sensitivity are different diseases associated with wheat consumption. Wheat allergy and celiac disease are both immune disorders; however, celiac disease differs from wheat allergy in that it is an autoimmune disorder. Learn more about about the differences between these three wheat hypersensitivities.

In Conversation: Marté Matthews, Consulting Family Therapist

Marté discusses her background, her thoughts on the psychological impact of food allergies on participants and families, and her role as a therapist in assisting with emotional issues surrounding food allergies.

Inspired to End Allergies Together 

Driven to find a cure for their children's food allergies, Kim Hall and Elise Bates started End Allergies Together (E•A•T) in 2015, a nonprofit organization solely dedicated to accelerating new treatments and solutions through funding food allergy research. Kim Hall discusses her family's experiences dealing with her daughter's life-threatening food allergies, the mission and vision of E•A•T, and her hopes of eventually finding a cure.

Is OIT Ready for Private Practice? — Three Perspectives

Oral immunotherapy is currently being evaluated in clinical trials at the Center as a promising treatment for desensitization of individuals with food allergies. Christine Patel, a parent of a child with food allergies, spoke with three San Francisco Bay Area allergists to get their perspectives on this promising new therapy.

In Conversation: Dr. Sharon Chinthrajah

Dr. Chinthrajah is Director of the Clinical Translational Research Unit at the Center and oversees all clinical trials, sees patients, teaches fellows, and is an investigator on a number of clinical trials at the Center.

In Conversation: Andrew Long, PharmD

As the Lead Investigational Drug Pharmacist at the Center, Andrew works hard behind-the-scenes to ensure safe and appropriate use of the drugs used in our innovative treatments. He is excited to be working at the forefront of food allergy research alongside some of the best and brightest researchers in the field of food allergy.

Hartman Family Foundation Challenge grant Matched

We met our match! We are thrilled to announce that we have raised $1.2 million to meet our challenge grant from the Hartman Family Foundation. Through the generous 1-to-1 match from Kim and Alan Hartman's Foundation and so many other generous donors, we raised a total of $2.4 million to directly support this major step to making a food allergy “vaccine” a reality.

Read more about Kim and Alan Hartman's inspiring support of the Center and Dr. Kari Nadeau's research.

In Conversation: Dr. Kari Nadeau

The Center has made great strides in understanding and treating allergies. Dr. Kari Nadeau, Director of the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research, discusses the Center's recent accomplishments, its mission, and her vision for the Center.

In Conversation: Dr. Mark Nicolls

Dr. Mark Nicolls, Chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (PCCM), welcomes the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research into the Division. He discusses what this integration means to the Center and to PCCM.

Twins — Double the Hope

Identical twins, Anjali and Anushka, are juniors in high school who have completed the multiple food allergy oral immunotherapy trial with Xolair. Josh and Sam, 6-year-old fraternal twins, are still undergoing therapy for multiple food allergies. Twins assist us with research and enable us to understand the role of genetics and environmental factors in allergies and asthma. 

The Allergy-Asthma Connection

Common allergic diseases include atopic dermatitis (eczema), allergic rhinitis (hay fever), food allergies, and allergic asthma. Interestingly, There is a natural progression of allergic disease from eczema and food allergies to asthma and hay fever. This disease progression is often termed the "Allergic March." 

An Intern's Perspective: Bryan Bunning

"As a lab intern, I've had the chance to hear speeches from the world's leading allergy researchers. The Center is world-renowned, having ties to other doctors in Israel, Switzerland, the UK, and all around the United States. As a food-allergic person, it is both amazing and fascinating to hear what research has been done in the field of allergy."

In Collaboration: Dr. Ruchi Gupta

The Center partners with leading allergy researchers from all over the world to advance a cure for allergy and asthma. In this interview, Dr. Gupta discusses her research with the Center, her work with schools, teens and young adults in the allergy community, and more.

In Conversation: Whitney Block, NP

Get to know our clinical research nurse practitioner and Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) Center of Excellence lead study coordinator, Whitney Block. Whitney works with participants from all the studies at the Center. She says, "It's fun to work with patients every step of the way—from screening until follow-up!"

Center Named a FARE Clinical Network Center of Excellence

This newly established network aims to accelerate the development of drugs for patients with food allergies, as well as, improve the quality of care for this serious disorder. FARE Clinical Network members will serve as sites for clinical trials for the development of new therapeutics and will develop best practices for the care of patients with food allergies.

Eosinophilic Esophagitis 

When 14-year old Cole began to regularly complain that he was having difficulty swallowing during meals, his mother sensed something was wrong. Foods he never had trouble with before, like steak, were suddenly getting stuck in his throat causing him to gag. 15-year old Lowell’s symptoms came on rapidly at the age of 10. He started to vomit a lot, until the frequency quickly reached at least once a day. “Looking back, the reflux he was diagnosed with at age 2, was most likely related,” says his mother.

With Gratitude

On May 15, 2015 at the historic Carolands Chateau, the Lucile Packard Foundation hosted a celebration in honor of Kari Nadeau, MD, PhD and the establishment of the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy Research at Stanford University.

Tips on Traveling with Food Allergies

As we prepare for summer, travel plans for food allergic individuals can be particularly daunting. In this post, Lianne Mandelbaum — food allergy writer and founder of the No Nut Traveler — shares valuable safety tips on flying with food allergies. 

It Takes a Village: Rallying Support to Cure Food Allergies

As Annie started in a clinical trial at Stanford, the Carells’ hopes were modest. “Our dream was that she could come out of an accidental exposure to dairy without serious consequences,” notes Nancy. “We weren’t thinking, ‘I hope she can eat pizza.’ We were thinking, ‘Maybe now she can hold hands with somebody who just ate pizza.’”

A Catalytic Investment in Allergy Research: Q&A with Sean Parker 

"I believe we are relatively close to a point where all allergies can be cured, and that’s why I’m committed to supporting Dr. Nadeau and her research through a catalytic grant to conduct trials at levels capable of moving the entire field forward."

In Profile: Stephen Galli, MD, Department Chair, Pathology

Dr. Stephen Galli had been lecturing for many years on allergy and asthma, but it wasn’t until he came across his nut-allergic colleague vomiting and subsequently collapsing in the hall of Stanford’s Pathology Department, that he had his first personal experience with anaphylaxis and the “magic,” as he puts it, of epinephrine.

Sean N. Parker Pledges $24 Million to Launch Allergy Center at Stanford

Silicon Valley entrepreneur and philanthropist Sean Parker is establishing a new research center at Stanford University School of Medicine in the hope of propelling innovation in allergy research. 

Better Blood Tests

When our son Kieran was a baby, my husband and I learned about most of his allergies the scary way. The first time we fed him a nibble of cheese, his face blew up and he began wheezing and gasping for breath and had to be hospitalized.

Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos Extend a $2.25 Million Challenge Grant to Fund Innovative Clinical Food Allergy Research at Stanford

Groundbreaking food allergy research at Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford has received a major boost through the creation of a challenge grant by Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos. Severe food allergies are a growing epidemic, with rates having doubled in the last decade. One out of every 13 children is affected, and over 30 percent are thought to have allergies to more than one food.

Asthma Drug Aids Simultaneous Desensitization to Several Food Allergies, Study Finds

An asthma drug accelerates the process of desensitizing patients with food allergies to several foods at the same time, a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford shows.

DNA of Peanut-allergic Kids Changes with Immune Therapy

Treating a peanut allergy with oral immunotherapy changes the DNA of the patient’s immune cells, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. The DNA change could serve as the basis for a simple blood test to monitor the long-term effectiveness of the allergy therapy.

In Conversation: Tina Dominguez 

One of the closest relationships patients develop when they participate in a clinical trial at the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy Research at Stanford University is with Physician Assistant Tina Dominguez. 

Study: Drug Plus Dairy Treats Dangerous Milk Allergy

Pediatrician Kari Nadeau, MD, PhD, is using small doses of milk to desensitize children who are allergic to dairy products.

New Treatment May Desensitize Kids with Milk Allergies, Say Researchers

In a small clinical study, immunologists and allergists at Children’s Hospital Boston and the Stanford University School of Medicine report effectively desensitizing milk-allergic patients by increasing their exposure to milk in tandem with an allergy drug called omalizumab, allowing children to build up resistance quickly with limited allergic reactions.