AIFA News May 2021 | Tax time is approaching

Science drives life-changing discoveries and health benefits

By the end of 2021 over $500,000 in AIFA research grants will have been awarded. This has allowed scientists and clinicians to collaborate and innovate since the grant program began in 2015. Now we are setting our sights higher.

How soon can we give our first $1 million? Help us reach this goal to support Australasian allergy and immunology researchers of the future. We are appealing for tax deductible donations before 30 June for the 2022 grant round.

AIFA grants help early career researchers get novel research projects off the ground. These new discoveries can be life-changing, leading to improved diagnosis and new treatments. This means better health outcomes for people like Emily, Michelle and Josephine who live with allergy and other immune diseases, and have shared their stories with us. www.allergyimmunology.org.au/personal-stories 

There are currently no cures for allergies, which affect around one in five people in Australia and New Zealand. 

AIFA Chair Dr Melanie Wong presents to Parliamentary Inquiry

Dr Melanie Wong and other leading clinical immunology/allergy specialists had an opportunity to present at a Parliamentary Inquiry hearing on 7 May, 2021.

The Senate Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport Parliamentary Inquiry hearing into new drugs and novel medical technologies heard Dr Wong make a case for national newborn screening for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID). This is currently being trialled in New South Wales and is already established in New Zealand.

Prof Jo Douglass called for improved access to, and funding for, genomic testing to enable early and accurate diagnosis of primary immunodeficiencies.

Prof Connie Katelaris AM also spoke at the Inquiry hearing. “By studying rare disorders, much has been learnt about basic mechanisms within the immune system and about the genetic basis of these diseases. As we learn more, we can identify and target pathways or molecules that are key to the disease process. This results in drug development that is very targeted, leading to great outcomes. ...The benefits of basic research are far-reaching", stated Prof Katelaris.

AIFA grant awardees to present on research project progress

Researchers who have been awarded AIFA grants from 2015-2019 will present on their research progress and results at the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) Virtual Conference on 2 September 2021. For program details and registration visit  www.ascia2021.com

The ASCIA 2021 Conference will include presentations about the latest issues in allergy and clinical immunology, with more than 60 speakers, including 12 international experts and Dr Katie Allen MP as the Basten Orator.