Thank you and best wishes for the Festive Season

20 December 2023: 

Allergy and Immunology Foundation of Australasia (AIFA) grants give teams of researchers the opportunity to progress their original ideas to find out more about immune system disorders. This work leads to improved diagnosis and treatment of allergic, immunodeficiency and autoimmune diseases.

Thank you to our generous donors and sponsors, who provide support for allergy and immunology research through AIFA grants, selected via a competitive process of review by experts in the field.

We wish to thank community fundraiser Lindy Kennedy in regional Victoria. Lindy has an autoimmune disease called scleroderma.  Autoimmune diseases are a broad range of more than eighty related disorders, ranging from common to very rare. They affect around 5% of people and are an important health issue in Australia and New Zealand. https://www.allergy.org.au/patients/autoimmunity

Lindy organised an event to raise awareness at the Rotary Club of Bairnsdale Sunrise and a clinical immunology/allergy specialist was available to answer questions on autoimmune disease. This was followed by a highly successful fundraiser. It is admirable to see such positive action, and the donation from her community will go to directly to an AIFA research grant in 2024.

If you have an idea for an event, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  and we will work with you to make it a reality.

It is important that Early Career Clinician Researchers are supported to establish track records that will increase their chance of obtaining future research funding. This year an AIFA Early Career Research Grant was awarded to Dr Adrian Lee of the Westmead Institute for Medical Research for work on autoimmune disease. His team’s findings are expected to help clinicians better diagnose and monitor patients with autoimmune diseases like lupus and Sjögren’s. Read more here

Thank you to the members of the AIFA Grant Selection Panel who donate their time and expertise to assessing the many expressions of interest and applications for AIFA grants. The panel is mindful of what ideas will translate to real clinical benefits for patients, as well as creating pathways for success for early career researchers.

Help us to get these ideas off the ground. Your donation is a legacy which will help people living with allergy, immunodeficiency, and other immune system disorders.

Donate here to take action on immune disease.

With our best wishes for 2024,

Content created December 2023