UNICEF Canada, the world's leading child-focused humanitarian organization, featured CHILD Study results in an April 2018 campaign to improve parental leave policies in Canada.

The CHILD research was led by AllerGen investigator Dr. Anita Kozyrskyj (University of Alberta) and published in November 2017 in Brain, Behavior and Immunity. It found that infants born to mothers experiencing psychological distress (stress, depression, anxiety) had reduced levels of an important immune antibody in their feces in the first few months of life, which may put them at a higher risk of developing allergic disease.

The findings, which suggest that programs and policies to support the psychosocial wellbeing of mothers during and after pregnancy are important in shaping the immune health of newborns, were leveraged by UNICEF.

“CHILD Study research is helping to inform UNICEF’s efforts to advocate for better child and family policies, including improved parental leave take-up that will help more mothers continue breastfeeding and keep more babies healthy”, says Lisa Wolff, UNICEF’S Director of Policy and Research.

In January 2018, MD Magazine featured CHILD research on breastfeeding to help primary-care physicians provide optimal patient care.

Published in the Journal of Pediatrics in November 2017, the research showed that breastfeeding directly at the breast in the first three months of life appears to provide more protection against childhood asthma than either infant formula or expressed breastmilk.

MD Magazine interviewed study authors AllerGen HQP Dr. Annika Klopp and AllerGen/CHILD Study investigator Dr. Meghan Azad to translate the findings for physicians.

Dr. Azad shared with the magazine her team’s hope that the study will guide “future research on the best ways to store and feed expressed milk, and that it will inform societal policies to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.”

MD Magazine provides physicians with up-to-date specialty and disease-specific resources designed to help them provide better care to patients.

AllerGen is pleased to present its 2017-2018 Annual Report, which highlights examples of the Network’s accomplishments and impacts over the past year.

Now 14 years into its mandate, AllerGen has realized success on all fronts: new research findings and discovery platforms; improvements in allergic disease diagnosis, treatment and management; productive clinical trials; novel training and capacity building programs; increased networking nationally and internationally; enhanced influence on public health policy and a wide array of evidence-based food allergy guidance readily accessible by the lay public.

Many milestones have been reached over the past year.

The Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study achieved its AllerGen end-point, completing the five-year-old participants’ clinical visits and publishing important discoveries including: the impact of a mother’s depression on her baby’s immune system; how breastfeeding and infant feeding practices influence a baby’s risk of becoming overweight; and the ability to predict asthma and food allergies as early as age one.

CHILD researchers are moving forward with the participating children and parents into a longer-term study, conducting clinical assessments at ages eight, 11 and 14 to identify critical disease intervention “windows” from preconception to adolescence.

In January 2018, Genome Canada and other partners recognized CHILD’s immense value as a discovery platform by awarding the CHILD team over $9 million to pinpoint the microbes at play in the development of asthma and investigate ways to replace these microbes as a preventive treatment.

This has also been a year of transition in CHILD leadership. On July 1, 2017, Dr. Padmaja Subbarao became the Study’s Director, taking over from CHILD’s Founding Director, Dr. Malcolm Sears. AllerGen thanks Dr. Sears for his focused vision and unwavering commitment to the establishment and development of this globally unique birth cohort study since 2005.

The Clinical Investigator Collaborative (CIC), operating at eight universities across Canada and one abroad, has attracted over $28M in revenue to Canada. Since 2005, the CIC has undertaken 29 clinical trials, with five new trials pending negotiation as of June 2018.

The Canadian/National Food Allergy Strategic Team (CanFAST/NFAST) has generated exciting new findings on the genetic basis of peanut allergy, and trends and triggers for food-induced anaphylaxis. This multidisciplinary consortium has developed a comprehensive portfolio of research and knowledge mobilization initiatives that will produce significant new knowledge on food allergy by March 2019, providing a firm foundation for the future development of a national food allergy strategy.

AllerGen’s integrated Legacy Platforms have produced translational research results in epigenetics and biomarker development that have facilitated the development of new approaches to allergy diagnosis and clinical care. These research teams have contributed to the world’s largest genetic study on asthma; advanced the development of CABS1— a molecule that has the potential to be a reliable, accurate marker of human stress; and introduced a new technology that may eventually offer a low cost, non-invasive method of predicting which individuals with asthma will develop a “late-phase” asthmatic response.

In the past year, $200,000 in Strategic Initiatives funding helped Network investigators ensure that the results and insights generated from AllerGen-funded research are fully communicated to end-users, including clinicians, researchers, policy makers, the public, and those living with allergic disease.

In April 2018, AllerGen launched a novel awards program designed to recognize exemplary mentorship and a commitment to mentorship development. The awards, which celebrate the initiatives of the Network’s participants, partners and collaborators, were created to honour the memory of Michelle Harkness, Manager of AllerGen’s Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) Training and Events Program from 2011 to 2017, who passed away suddenly in August 2017.

Finally, we extend our sincere thanks to AllerGen’s investigators and trainees, partners, the Board of Directors, Research Management Committee (RMC), AllerGen advisory committee members, and the Network’s leadership and administrative team. This year’s accomplishments are a testament to their ongoing commitment and contributions to the fulfillment of our NCE mandate and mission. We also thank the NCE Secretariat and AllerGen’s host institution, McMaster University, for their continued championing of AllerGen’s vision, mission and goals.

AllerGen’s term as one of Canada’s Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) will end in March 2019. We begin a two-year NCE wind-down with clear goals for facilitating the commercialization, knowledge mobilization and continued business-related operations of the Network’s three high-impact, sustainable Legacy platforms.

As we close the year, we look forward to working with our research, care, policy and patient partner communities in the context of a truly national network to 2021 and beyond.

A 2017 discovery by CHILD Study researchers shed new light on the stress-microbiome-immunity pathway, suggesting that infants born to mothers experiencing distress may be at a higher risk of developing allergic disease.

“Given the emerging research linking the gut microbiome and allergies, we were interested to see if maternal depression, which is not uncommon in our increasingly stressful environment, plays a role in an infant’s early life gut immunity,” says lead researcher Dr. Anita Kozyrskyj, an AllerGen investigator and a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta.

The research, published in Brain, Behavior and Immunity, found that when mothers were depressed during and after pregnancy, their infants were more likely to have reduced concentrations of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), a critical immune antibody, in their gut as compared to infants whose mothers were not depressed.

The sIgA antibody plays a critical role in reducing the risk of allergies by helping an infant’s developing immune system to recognize the difference between harmful and harmless substances in the gut.

For the study, Dr. Kozyrskyj’s team analyzed data from 403 infants and their mothers participating in the CHILD Study. Because sIgA is passed from moms to infants through breastmilk, the researchers also examined the impact of breastfeeding on sIgA levels.

“We wondered if maternal distress affected breastfeeding, which might explain the lower sIgA levels seen in some infants,” says AllerGen trainee and study first-author Liane Kang, also at the University of Alberta.

The researchers found that, regardless of breastfeeding status and other maternal factors:

• when mothers experienced distress both during and after pregnancy (prenatal and postnatal), their infants were three times as likely to have reduced sIgA levels as infants whose mothers were not distressed
• when mothers experienced distress only during pregnancy (prenatal), their infants had lower sIgA levels than infants whose mothers were not distressed

These findings suggest that maternal distress is associated with lower infant sIgA levels independently of breastfeeding and other maternal factors. Postnatal depression did not have a unique contribution to sIgA levels when breastfeeding status was considered.

“CHILD is helping to identify critical early-life windows for disease interception. Our hope is that these findings will guide future research to better understand how maternal stress impacts sIgA, a vital component in the first-line defense of a baby’s developing immune system,” adds Dr. Kozyrskyj.

Links: Press release | ResearchSKETCH lay summary

AllerGen researchers have pinpointed a new gene associated with peanut allergy.

The gene, called c11orf30/EMSY, or EMSY for short, is known to play a role in other allergic conditions, such as eczema, asthma, and allergic rhinitis. This research is the first to connect EMSY with food allergy.

AllerGen researchers Drs Denise Daley (Associate Professor, The University of British Columbia, Centre for Heart Lung Innovation at St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC) and Ann Clarke (Professor, University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, AB) led the study.

“Food allergy is the result of both genetic and environmental factors, but we know surprisingly little about the genetic causes,” says Dr. Daley, a Tier II Canada Research Chair in the genetic epidemiology of common complex diseases. “Discovering this new genetic link gives us a fuller picture of how food allergies develop, and it may eventually help doctors identify children at risk.”

Dr. Yuka Asai, an AllerGen investigator and Assistant Professor at Queen’s University, and AllerGen trainee Dr. Aida Eslami, a postdoctoral fellow at The University of British Columbia, were co-first authors on the paper.

“Our team had previously published findings that a defect in another gene, called ‘filaggrin’, can increase the risk of a child developing an allergy to peanuts,” says Dr. Asai. “Yet, mutations in the filaggrin gene were only present in 20% of the allergic cases, so this study was critical to shedding more light on the specific genetic mechanisms at play.”

The researchers analyzed DNA from 850 individuals with a peanut allergy recruited from the Canadian Peanut Allergy Registry (CanPAR) and nearly 1,000 individuals without a peanut allergy. They scanned over 7.5 million genetic markers across the DNA through a genome-wide association study (GWAS) searching for clues as to which genes might contribute to an increased risk of developing food allergies. The researchers also considered results from six other genetic studies from American, Australian, German and Dutch populations.

What they found was that EMSY was associated with an increased risk of both peanut allergy and food allergy, and five other gene locations were also suspected to be involved.

“One of the hurdles in developing new treatments for food allergies is identifying the specific genes and pathways we need to target,” adds Dr. Eslami. “These results suggest that EMSY could open the door for new research, diagnostics, and management strategies.”

The findings were published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in October 2017.

Link: Press release

In 2014, AllerGen’s Clinical Investigator Collaborative (CIC) conducted an early Phase II clinical trial on the injectable biologic drug tezepelumab, developed by MedImmune and Amgen. “Now, it’s hitting the big time,” observes CIC Director Dr. Paul O’Byrne.

The trial, whose findings were published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), first identified the drug’s significant therapeutic potential. The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and many other major media outlets reported on the study.

In 2017, a follow-on Phase IIb trial of tezepelumab, conducted by Dr. Jonathan Corren of the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues, confirmed the CIC’s original evaluation and generated further expectations for an asthma treatment with “blockbuster potential.”

“Dramatic results” from this trial were published online in the NEJM on September 7, 2017, and presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Milan on September 12.

In a NEJM commentary on the findings, Dr. Elisabeth Bel described the drug as “the broadest and most promising biologic for the treatment of persistent uncontrolled asthma to date,” positioning it as a strong contender in the multibillion-dollar market for severe asthma injections.

Tezepelumab is an antibody that blocks the action of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), a protein involved in various allergic diseases including asthma.

In this latest trial, the drug was shown to reduce asthma exacerbations in patients with moderate to severe, uncontrolled disease by between 61% and 71%, compared to placebo.

“This is the best example to date of what the CIC can do,” comments Dr. O’Byrne, who jointly led the 2014 trial with CIC Co-Director Dr. Gail Gauvreau.

“These results further validate the accuracy of the CIC’s allergen inhalation challenge model,” adds Dr. Gauvreau, “and its ability to identify early those compounds that merit continued development and those that are likely to fail in larger clinical trials.”

Since 2005, AllerGen’s allergic asthma CIC has completed or undertaken 22 clinical trials, attracted over $26.9 million in global pharmaceutical and biotechnology investments to Canada, created 40 Canadian jobs and published over 120 peer-reviewed publications.

Predicting which children are likely to develop asthma and food allergies is possible as early as a child’s first birthday, according to recent evidence from the CHILD Study.

CHILD researchers have found that children who have both eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis (AD), and are sensitized to an allergen at one year of age are seven times more likely to develop asthma and significantly more likely to have a food allergy by age three.

It has long been known that infants with AD are more likely to develop hay fever, asthma or other allergic disease compared to infants without eczema. But predicting precisely which children with AD will go on to develop these conditions has been difficult.

“As clinicians, we have struggled to explain the ‘atopic march,’ which is the progression of allergic disease in childhood,” says Dr. Malcolm Sears, founding director of the CHILD Study, a professor of medicine at McMaster University and a researcher at the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.

Link: Press release

“Our study looked at the interactive effects of AD and early allergic sensitization and showed that in combination, they pose a significant risk for future allergic disease.”

The researchers assessed more than 2,300 children from across Canada participating in the CHILD Study, looking for the presence of AD and allergic sensitization at age one, and asthma, allergic rhinitis, food allergy and AD at age three.

“We found that the combined effect of AD and allergic sensitization was greater than the sum of their individual effects, both on the risk of asthma and on reported food allergy,” says Maxwell Tran, a BHSc graduate from McMaster University and AllerGen trainee who is studying medicine at The University of Toronto.

“Our findings may be useful to help physicians assess an infant’s risk of developing asthma or allergy more accurately,” adds Tran. “If a child presents with AD and shows signs of sensitization to food or inhaled allergens such as fungus or dog hair, the doctor should definitely be on the lookout for asthma.”

The findings were published in November 2017, in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

AllerGen’s national C-CARE study has found that that one-third of food anaphylaxis emergencies in kids occurred while an adult was supervising as a child was eating.

In the majority of those cases (65%), the supervising adult was a caregiver and not the child’s parent.

AllerGen investigator, Dr. Moshe Ben-Shoshan, led the research, which mined data from four Canadian emergency departments between 2012 and 2015.

“Most of us assume that as long as our kids are at home under the supervision of an adult we know—they’ll be fine. But apparently, that’s not the case,” he says.

The study, published in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, also looked at the role of food labelling and found that most anaphylactic reactions to labelled food occurred when the label was ignored, indicating that better management strategies are needed to avoid accidental ingestions both inside and outside the home.

Most anaphylactic reactions occur at home, often under adult supervision (courtesy of CTV News).

Dr. Ben-Shoshan is a pediatric allergist and immunologist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, and an assistant professor of Pediatrics at McGill University.

Links: Press release | Allergic Living story

The grants support Masters and Doctoral students from across Canada who are involved in early-onset and late-onset asthma research. The initiative not only advances promising research, but also fosters the next generation of outstanding asthma researchers in Canada.

“Asthma is the third most common chronic disease in Canada,” said Vanessa Foran, President & CEO of Asthma Canada.

“By investing in young Canadian scientists and supporting their promising work, we ensure continued efforts to search for a cure for asthma, while making real strides towards better treatment options for the more than three million Canadians living with asthma.”

The inaugural award recipients—all AllerGen Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP)—were announced in February 2018. Asthma Canada will be a legacy partner to AllerGen, supporting AllerGen trainees in their research endeavours in the field of asthma.

“These awards create value-added opportunities for the training, education, and professional development of graduate students who will strengthen Canada’s knowledge base and scope for clinical innovation,” added Dr. Judah Denburg, Scientific Director and CEO of AllerGen.

“We are delighted to partner with Asthma Canada on this exciting initiative and to support the work of these exceptional students from across Canada.”

Link: Press release

2018 Graduate Student Research Award recipients

Asthma Canada / AllerGen Bastable-Potts Graduate Student Research Award: $20,000 to support investigations into late-onset asthma by a PhD student

• 

  Danay Maestre-Batlle

  The University of British Columbia

  Supervisor: Dr. Christopher Carlsten, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine

  “Effects of phthalate inhalation on airway immunology: a controlled human exposure study.”

Asthma Canada / AllerGen Goran-Enhorning Graduate Research Award: $20,000 to support investigations into early-onset asthma by a PhD student

• 

  Thomas Mahood

  University of Manitoba

  Supervisor: Dr. Andrew Halayko, Professor, Departments of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Internal Medicine, and Pediatrics & Child Health

  “Understanding the role of protein prenylation in asthma.”

Asthma Canada / AllerGen Goran-Enhorning Graduate Research Award: $10,000 to support investigations into early-onset asthma by an MSc student

• 

  Diana Pham

  University of Calgary

  Supervisor: Dr. Richard Leigh, Professor and Department Head, Department of Medicine

  “The role of human rhinovirus infections in the pathogenesis of airway remodelling in asthma.”

• 

  Dr. Lauren Solomon

The Fellowship, valued at $55,000, supports the research of exceptional young scientists in the field of allergy and clinical immunology.

Dr. Solomon holds a PhD in biochemistry and has completed a postdoctoral fellowship in immune system genetics. She works with Dr. Lisa Cameron, an associate professor at Western University, to study molecular pathways regulating severe asthma in women.

T helper type 2 (Th2) immune cells are a type of cell involved in orchestrating the inflammation seen in asthma. Dr. Solomon’s research studies how Th2 cells respond to inhaled steroids and hormone replacement therapy.

“We hope that a better understanding of how these therapies affect Th2 levels may contribute to improved treatment options for women with severe asthma,” she says.

“CAAIF, in partnership with AllerGen, is delighted to offer this Fellowship, which raises awareness and contributes new knowledge for conditions such as asthma, allergies, anaphylaxis, immune deficiency, and other immunological diseases,” adds CAAIF President Dr. Susan Waserman.

“Dr. Solomon’s research is important as it will help us understand how certain gender factors may influence the development of severe asthma.”

This is the third CAAIF-AllerGen Research Fellowship award. Dr. Catherine Biggs (The University of British Columbia) and Dr. Nicholas Jendzjowsky (University of Calgary) received the Fellowship in 2016.

Link: Press release

AllerGen’s Success Stories is written for Canadian families and healthcare providers, providing up-to-date information on cutting-edge research into asthma, allergies and anaphylaxis and exploring what causes these illnesses, how better to manage, treat and prevent them, and steps towards finding cures.

Since 2010, AllerGen has published and distributed 11 issues of Success Stories to over 1,200 Network participants, partners and knowledge users.

In addition to diverse topics in the areas of asthma and allergies, Success Stories, available in both English and French, features the accomplishments of AllerGen’s Highly Qualified Personnel.

ResearchSKETCHES provide short, readable summaries of high-impact published Network research, emphasizing why the research should matter to readers of all backgrounds.

Each SKETCH answers: What is the research about? What did the researchers do? What did they find? How can the research be used?

SKETCHES are targeted to non-scientific audiences, including healthcare professionals, community organizations, policymakers, and decision-makers, to enable uptake and implementation of research results leading to impact or changes in policies, practice and programs.

A Health Promotion Consultant with Health Nexus Santé in Toronto, ON, Hiltrud Dawson, says the clear language summaries provide a much-needed resource for healthcare and social service providers working in maternal and child health across the country.

“AllerGen’s SKETCHES explain the latest research findings in a simple and easy-to-understand format,” says Dawson. “I have shared the summaries with 3,700 organizations and clients in Ontario and across Canada to help support their work in preconception, prenatal and child health.”

Available in French and English, SKETCHES are available online on AllerGen’s website and are widely disseminated in print version at conferences, stakeholder events, and in allergy and asthma clinics across the country.

Each SKETCH is written by an AllerGen Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) who worked on the AllerGen research project and co-authored the journal publication.

By providing lay writing training and editorial support, the SKETCHES program builds knowledge translation (KT) skills among AllerGen’s HQP, helping young researchers to make their findings accessible, relevant and easy to understand to a broad lay audience.

“Being an AllerGen SKETCH writer helped me to tell the story of my research in an interesting way,” says Wojciech Dawicki, an AllerGen HQP in Dr. John Gordon’s laboratory at the University of Saskatchewan.

“Now, I think about my reader—what he or she needs to know—which helps me to expand the audience for my research by making the information accessible to everyone.”

Visit ResearchSKETCHES on AllerGen’s website.

In 2018, Canada’s Chatelaine magazine and National Post newspaper highlighted the latest scientific developments in the fight against food allergies, providing national exposure for AllerGen investigators, trainees, partner organizations and AllerGen-supported food allergy research.

“How Close Are We to a Cure for Food Allergies?” (Chatelaine─23 April 2018; National Post─5 June 2018) featured interviews with researchers from AllerGen’s Canadian Food Allergy Strategic Team (CanFAST) and National Food Allergy Strategy (NFASt) legacy initiative, including:

• Dr. Susan Waserman (McMaster University);
• Dr. Moshe Ben-Shoshan (McGill University);
• Dr. Bruce Mazer (McGill University);
• Dr. John Gordon (University of Saskatchewan); and
• Dr. Edmond Chan (The University of British Columbia)

The article looked at current and emerging food allergy treatments and preventative strategies, such as oral immunotherapy (OIT), allergy patches and oral capsules, and dendritic cell modifications.

CanFAST’s national food allergy prevalence data and results from AllerGen’s CHILD Study were highlighted to benchmark the scope of, and highlight issues relating to, the problem of food allergy in Canada.

Dr. David Fischer, President of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (CSACI), an AllerGen legacy partner, also commented in the article on the importance of new treatments to reduce the risk of “catastrophic accidental exposure” to ingested food allergens.

Link: “How Close Are We to a Cure for Food Allergies?”

CHILD Study Stakeholder Advisory Committee

Chair: Dr. Meghan Azad (University of Manitoba; co-lead CHILD Study Manitoba site)

This pan-Canadian Stakeholder Advisory Committee is composed of 22 members from diverse sectors and disciplines, including: members of the public; Study parents; not-for-profit organizations; business/government representatives; and medical and KMb experts.

The Committee informs research and knowledge mobilization priorities associated with the use of CHILD data, helps to interpret and disseminate study results as they are published, and helps to translate findings into products and tools to benefit parents and communities; to advance public policy; and to improve clinical applications.

Clinical Investigator Collaborative (CIC) Annual Partner Workshop

Co-chairs: Drs Paul O’Byrne and Gail Gauvreau (McMaster University)

Since 2006, AllerGen’s Allergic Asthma-CIC, a Canadian clinical trials consortium, has held 13 multi-sectoral workshops to engage industry partners from across the country. This annual knowledge-exchange forum allows CIC researchers to collaborate with global pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and to select high-potential developmental drug molecules for intensive study in CIC Phase II clinical trials.

These partnered workshops have led to 22 clinical trials and $26.9 million in Canadian R&D investment, in turn, saving industry clients years of investment by identifying early those compounds that merit continued development and those that are likely to fail in Phase III clinical trials.

CIC’s stakeholder engagement strategy is having a direct impact on: the development of new and improved asthma medications; new/modified guidelines for asthma care; novel intellectual property (biomarkers) and related analytic tools; and public health-based prevention strategies for asthma and allergic diseases.

National Food Allergy Strategic Team (NFAST) Knowledge Translation Working Group

Co-chairs: Drs Susan Elliott (University of Waterloo) and Ann Clarke (University of Calgary)

AllerGen’s NFAST research team has established a Knowledge Translation (KT) Working Group to provide advice on the mobilization of the Network’s food allergy research discoveries.

This multidisciplinary, national KT group brings together food allergy stakeholders in the areas of science, advocacy, health policy and patient support.

The group is informing and supporting the mobilization of new food allergy knowledge on:

• national prevalence trends and the economic burden of food allergy;
• rates, triggers and management of anaphylaxis in different provinces and settings across Canada;
• epigenetic signatures;
• recommended food allergen threshold levels in food manufacturing;
• and best practices for food labelling and precautionary labelling statements.

With a decade of commitment to working in an integrated fashion with end-users and policy makers, NFAST is contributing to the creation of a culture of citizen-based, deliberative democracy in national food policy building and is an example of how community-academic partnerships can contribute to national policy building.

“Chronic diseases are rapidly expanding all over the world, and associated healthcare costs are increasing at an astronomical rate. We need to develop personalized treatments tailored to the genetics of increasingly diverse patient populations, to clinical and family histories, and to environmental factors. This requires collecting vast amounts of data, integrating it, and making it accessible and usable.”

Dr. Quintana was one of four expert speakers featured in AllerGen’s “Research Success” webinar series delivered to researchers, trainees and partners in 2017-18.

AllerGen researchers from the University of Alberta have discovered that a salivary protein called CABS1 has the potential to be a reliable, accurate marker of human stress. What’s more, levels of CABS1 may change depending on the kinds of stress we experience. The research, published in June 2017, may ultimately lead to new ways to predict, diagnose and eventually treat stress-related conditions

Eduardo Reyes-Serratos (University of Alberta) discusses the CABS1 finding.

Links: ResearchSKETCH | Press release

Dr. Scott Tebbutt, a professor in the Department of Medicine at The University of British Columbia and Chief Scientific Officer at the PROOF Centre, is the lead AllerGen researcher developing the new technology.

The late-phase asthmatic response is a delayed response that occurs three to four hours following an initial asthmatic reaction. About half of all people with asthma experience it—and the symptoms are usually more severe than symptoms of the initial reaction, producing mucus, inflammation (swelling) and even structural changes of the airways.

“This blood test uses NanoString technology to look for biomarkers indicating susceptibility to a late-phase asthmatic reaction,” says Dr. Tebbutt. “We hope that it can eventually be used to identify a new target for asthma therapeutics, and as a method to select patients for clinical trials.”

The technology has emerged from research that Dr. Tebbutt has been pursuing with AllerGen support since 2007.

Dr. Amrit Singh, a former AllerGen trainee, is a co-author on their paper published in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine in February 2018.

“Our study used the test to look for differences in the blood of asthmatics who experience the late-phase response,” says Dr. Singh. “We identified a number of molecules called RNA transcripts that strongly predicted the late-phase asthmatic response.”

Currently, lung function tests are the only reliable method of diagnosing a late-phase asthmatic responder.

Drs Tebbutt and Singh hope that the new technology, and the research behind it, will facilitate the recruitment of appropriate subjects for clinical trials, which, in turn, may accelerate the development of new drugs for asthma.

Link: ResearchSKETCH

Since 2011, AllerGen has awarded four Emerging Clinician-Scientist Fellowship awards. Valued at $250,000 each, these awards enable newly trained Canadian allergists and immunologists to advance their research expertise and pursue a combined career as clinicians and academic researchers.

Dr. Marylin Desjardins (Montreal Children’s Hospital) discusses her fellowship research.

AllerGen Research Skills Awards enable HQP to develop strategically important, advanced research skills through individualized training experiences.

From specialized research visits to lab exchanges, scientific courses or workshops and cross-disciplinary training, these awards enable Network trainees to gain unique skills to advance their careers

Since 2011, 28 Research Skills Awards have been awarded.

In 2017-18, Research Skills Award recipient, Dr. Vivek Gandhi, utilized the program to help him develop critical technical and analytical skills.

• 

  Vivek Gandhi (University of Alberta; supervisor: Dr. Harissios Vliagoftis)

  Opportunity: Immunohistochemistry techniques training at Meakins-Christie Laboratory, McGill University, Montréal, QC, under the supervision of Dr. James Martin.

  “This AllerGen award allowed me to visit the lab of Dr. James Martin at McGill University to study immunohistochemistry, which is a lab test that uses antibodies to test for certain antigens (markers) in human tissues. The skills I learned with Dr. Martin and his colleagues will enrich the work of our own research team at the University of Alberta, which will ultimately help to advance Canadian allergy research.”

AllerGen’s Undergraduate Summer Studentships provide unique capacity-building opportunities for the Network’s undergraduate students, enabling them to work alongside AllerGen investigators and their teams on allergic diseases research.

The program funds up to 10 exceptional undergraduate students per summer, aiming to encourage studies and potential careers in research or clinical practice relevant to allergic disease, asthma, food allergy and anaphylaxis.

Since 2012, 59 trainees have participated in the program.

In 2017-2018, AllerGen increased the total value of an individual Summer Studentship, which is matched 1:1 by Canadian partner organizations, to $7,000 per student.

Sarah Almas

Undergraduate Summer Studentship recipient
University of Alberta
Supervisor: Dr. Paige Lacy

AllerGen 2017-18 Undergraduate Summer Studentships recipients

AllerGen trainees continued to shine at the annual AllerGen/Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (CSACI) Poster Competition, winning 12 of the 16 awards granted at the Fall 2017 event.

The competition was held in conjunction with CSACI’s 2017 Scientific Meeting, from October 11 to 15, 2017, in Toronto, ON. This was the fifth consecutive year that AllerGen and CSACI, an AllerGen legacy partner, co-hosted the competition

AllerGen Travel Awards support the Network’s trainees to share AllerGen-supported research results at meetings, conferences and workshops around the world.

Matched 1:1 with partnered funding, these awards allow HQP to participate in academic sessions and poster competitions, contribute to and learn about the most recent advances in allergic disease, and network and develop collaborations with international experts in their field of study.

To date, AllerGen has bestowed 326 Travel Awards.

In 2017-2018, 41 AllerGen Travel Awards sent HQP to 19 high-profile events, including:

• the American Thoracic Society International Meeting
• the American Academy of Allergy
• Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting
• the Keystone Symposia
• the European Academy for Allergy and Clinical Immunology Conference, and the
• European Respiratory Society Research Seminar.

In 2017-18, Dr. Rodrigo Jiménez-Saiz from McMaster University became the 9^th AllerGen trainee to receive an International Trainee Research Visit Award.

The award supported Dr. Jiménez-Saiz as he embarked on a three-month research visit to Harvard University and the Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Jiménez-Saiz worked with Dr. Wayne Shreffler, a clinician scientist who is internationally renowned for bringing together clinical expertise in food allergy and state-of-the art molecular biology tools and bioinformatics.

During the training visit, Dr. Jiménez-Saiz learned how to single-sort B cells and to analyze the genetic structure of the B-cell receptor, a key sensor that recognizes portions of viruses, bacteria or allergens that it is specific for.

AllerGen International Trainee Research Visit Awards provide funding for selected AllerGen trainees to spend up to six months abroad working on high-profile research projects with international investigators and their research teams.

“I am grateful to my mentor, Dr. Jordana, for encouraging me to apply for this award, to AllerGen NCE for their generous support, and to Drs Shreffler and Patil for the scientific opportunity to study with them."

Dr. Rodrigo Jiménez-Saiz (R) with his McMaster University supervisor Dr. Manel Jordana (L)

"The exposure to such a fertile environment where researchers, clinicians and industries work closely in state-of-the-art centers showed me how science should be nurtured. Besides the techniques that I learned and the relevant scientific findings obtained, I was pleasantly surprised to see that McMaster is not that different from Harvard.”

In 2017, AllerGen hosted its 11^th Symposium from May 3-5 in Burlington, ON.

The Symposium’s objective was to provide Network trainees and ASNPN members with unique value-added professional development opportunities, allowing for skill and knowledge acquisition to enhance career development and complement academic and scientific training.

The Symposium also fostered networking and collaboration among trainees and young professionals who share an interest in the field of allergy and asthma research, and clinical practice.

Attendees of AllerGen's 11^th Trainee Symposium

The Symposium included four skill-building workshops:

• Finding Your Voice: Speaking with Influence and Impact
• Conducting Difficult Conversations
• Focus on Skills! Identifying & Communicating Transferable Skills
• The Other Kind of Smart: EI (Emotional Intelligence)

A highlight of the three-day Symposium was the public speaking workshop, Finding Your Voice: Speaking with Influence and Impact, conducted by Colleen Aynn.

The workshop received the conference’s highest rating; 98% of attendees rated the session as “Excellent” or “Above Average.”

Colleen Aynn is a teacher, author, professional stage coach, public speaker, and an international music theatre performer who has studied with many of Canada’s top talents. She facilities workshops in the areas of public speaking, strong leadership, and effective communication.

Speaker Colleen Aynn models how to be “EPIC” (Energetic, Passionate, In the moment, Connected) when speaking in public

1 Minute | 1 Slide

Moderated by ASNPN Vice-President Laura Feldman, trainees showcased their research findings in 60 seconds.

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Alumni Career Panel

AllerGen HQP alumni shared their experiences and networked with attendees.

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Investigators’ Panel

AllerGen investigators discussed: qualities they seek in research trainees; their career trajectories; achieving a work-life balance; and the most valuable career advice they have received.

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“The Symposium gave me an opportunity to further develop my soft skills and to network and build relationships with other young professionals.”

“This Symposium provided me with the opportunity to network and connect with trainees and researchers from all over Canada, whom I would not have interacted with independently. I am excited about where these research connections will lead, and feel lucky to be a part of the AllerGen community.”

“Being part of the Trainee Symposium not only helped me to recognize and expand my skill set, but also allowed me to network and ask important, honest questions to those who have been down various career paths. I’ve gained so much knowledge from the sessions and people at this workshop. I never would have had an opportunity like this elsewhere.”

The ASNPN is a membership program open to trainees (undergraduate students to postdoctoral fellows), research staff and early-career researchers working in the field of allergic disease in Canada.

The ASNPN is governed by an elected Executive Committee, which meets five times per year by teleconference. The ASNPN President sits as an observer on the AllerGen Board of Directors and is a full voting member of the Advanced Education and Training Opportunities Advisory Committee (AETOAC). The ASNPN Vice-President sits as an observer on AllerGen’s Research Management Committee (RMC).

AllerGen NCE Inc. (AllerGen) is selected for support in the 2004 round of applications for new Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCEs).

Beginning in fall 2004, AllerGen engages in a wide range of start-up activities, including the appointment of an outstanding board of directors and related committees, the evaluation and funding of Network supported research projects, the recruitment of researchers, trainees and Administrative Centre staff and the identification of performance indicators.

NCE funding

The NCE 2004-05 Annual Report announces the selection of AllerGen for funding.

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Board of Directors

AllerGen recruits it's first Board of Directors line-up.

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Host Institution

McMaster University signs on to serve as host institution.

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AllerGen launches a national clinical trials consortium—the AllerGen Clinical Investigator Collaborative (CIC).

The consortium consists of four research centres that evaluate the potential effectiveness of new molecules proposed to treat airway inflammation and simultaneously study the mechanics of allergic disease.

Clinical Investigator Collaborative

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First Research Conference

AllerGen's first Annual Research Conference, Innovation from Cell to Society, draws over 120 delegates to Toronto, ON.

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CAIDATI training program

AllerGen's Canadian Allergy and Immune Diseases Advanced Training Inititaive (CAIDATI) aims to build training capacity nationally.

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First slate of projects approved

27 proposals are accepted for funding across the Network’s five research themes.

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Research themes consolidated

AllerGen's five research themes are consolidated into three programmatic thrusts.

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International Partnership Initiative (IPI)

AllerGen's IPI fosters collaboration with five international allergic disease research organizations.

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1^st Poster Competition

AllerGen's 1^st adjudicated poster competition is held as part of its 2^nd research conference.

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1^st Trainee Symposium

AllerGen's inaugural Trainee Symposium, Advancing Professional Excellence, is held in King City, ON.

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ASNPN HQP Network

AllerGen's ASNPN is established to foster networking, knowledge exchange and skills development among trainees.

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Birth cohort pilot

AllerGen seed-funds a pilot birth cohort project: Mini-CHILD, exploring the onset and development of allergic disease.

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Food allergy research

AllerGen's CanGoFar team studies new ways to diagnose and treat food allergies.

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AllerGen-GABRIEL partnership

AllerGen partners with the pan-European GABRIEL consortium in the largest-ever study of genetic associations for asthma.

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3^rd Research Conference

Over 200 Canadian and international delegates attend AllerGen's 3^rd Research Conference in Banff, Alberta.

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Topigen partnership

AllerGen and bio-pharmaceutical company Topigen partner to provide hands-on training.

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2^nd Trainee Symposium

Thirty trainees from 10 universities attended the 2^nd Trainee Symposium, Your Entrepreneurial Future, in King City, ON.

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NCE funding renewal

AllerGen successfully passes its first mid-term review and its NCE funding is renewed to 2012.

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CHILD Study launch

AllerGen's birth cohort study is launched in response to a Ministerial report on children's health in Canada.

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Cross-programmatic research teams

Four multidisciplinary AllerGen teams form to focus on areas of research priority.

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Asthma and low-income families

An AllerGen study reveals that children from low-income families have less adequate asthma control.

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4^th Research Conference

AllerGen holds its fourth annual Research Conference, From Cell to Society⁴ in Ottawa, ON.

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3^rd Trainee Symposium, Poster Competition

AllerGen holds its third Trainee Symposium, Science, Society and Beyond, in Victoria, BC.

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Asthma-related genetic database

An AllerGen team creates a global online resource for allergy and asthma researchers.

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KT tool for researchers

AllerGen creates an online tool to help researchers develop knowledge translation plans for their projects.

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Traffic-related air pollution

New research explores the impact of traffic-related air pollution on the development of asthma in children.

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Karolinska exchange program

AllerGen collaborates with the Swedish Karolinska Institutet to offer trainees international exchange opportunities.

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5^th Research Conference

AllerGen holds its fifth annual Research Conference, From Cell to Society⁵ in Québec City, QC.

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4^th Trainee Symposium, Poster Competition

AllerGen holds its fourth Trainee Symposium, Becoming Future Leaders: Challenges and Successes, in Montréal, Québec.

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Food allergy prevalence data

AllerGen's SCAALAR study provides the first food allergy prevalence data for Canada and influences food labelling regulations.

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Going Global Germany

AllerGen holds a collaborative workshop in Berlin and signs MOUs with two German institutions.

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Inaugural Café Scientifique

AllerGen hosts a public knowledge translation event: The Allergy and Asthma Epidemic: Can We Prevent or Cure it?

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Anaphylaxis registry

AllerGen's Cross-Canada Anaphylaxis REgistry (C-CARE) is launched as a Strategic Initiative led by Dr. Ann Clarke.

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Emerging Clinician-Scientist Fellowship

AllerGen launches the highest annual award value Fellowship to increase the number of Canadian clinician-scientists in allergy and clinical immunology.

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Success Stories share research breakthroughs

AllerGen publishes the first issue of Success Stories magazine to give Canadians information on new research into asthma, allergies and anaphylaxis.

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• 

  $36.5 million renewal

  Following 18 months of consultation, reporting and strategic planning, the NCE renews AllerGen's funding to 2019. Read more

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  New international trainee program

  AllerGen launches the International Trainee Exchange Program. Read more

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  CHILD achieves recruitment goal

  The CHILD Study recruits 3,600 pregnant mothers, representing more than 10,000 participants. Read more

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  Awards for online anaphylaxis course

  The CSTD recognizes AllerGen and partners for How to C.A.R.E. for Students at Risk of Anaphylaxis: What Educators Need to Know. Read more

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  1^st Emerging Clinician-Scientist Fellowship awarded

  Dr. Moshe Ben-Shoshan is the inaugural winner of this prestigious fellowship. Read more

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  Integrated research strategy 2012-2019

  AllerGen's new Strategic Plan integrates its research programme into three Legacy Projects and three Enabling Platforms. Read more

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  7^th Research Conference

  AllerGen’s Seventh Research Conference, Innovation from cell to society⁷, is held in Toronto, ON. Read more

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  6^th Trainee Symposium

  Forty-four trainees participate in AllerGen's 6^th Trainee Symposium in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Read more

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  New Chairman of the Board

  Dr. Howard Bergman assumes the role of Board Chair upon the retirement from that position of Dr. Graham Scott. Read more

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  CHILD microbiome results

  Drs Meghan Azad and Anita Kozyrskyj find the infant gut microbiota is influenced by mode of delivery and infant diet. Read more

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  2^nd Emerging Clinician-Scientist Fellowship

  AllerGen awards its prestigious $250,000 Fellowship to Dr. Philippe Bégin. Read more

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  7^th Trainee Symposium

  Fifty-one trainees attend this professional development event in Calgary, Alberta. Read more

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  Aboriginal engagement

  Investigators complete studies aiming to provide First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities with asthma and allergy resources. Read more

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  Five Success Stories published

  AllerGen distributes its fifth issue of Success Stories magazine to over 1,200 Network participants, partners and knowledge users. Read more

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  2^nd Café Scientifique

  AllerGen hosts a Café Scientifique entitled Preventing children’s seasonal asthma spikes: What parents, teachers and the public need to know. Read more

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  NCE partnership for allergy testing

  AllerGen and the PROOF Centre join forces to develop tests for allergic asthma. Read more

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  Summer Studentships launched

  Ten undergraduate students receive Studentships in the program's first year. Read more

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  National strategy for asthma care

  Dr. Teresa To leads an effort to ensure uniform, high-quality asthma care across Canada. Read more

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  CIC expansion

  AllerGen's Clinical Investigator Collaborative (CIC) adds severe asthma and allergic rhinitis to its expertise. Read more

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  GET-FACTS launch

  This CIHR-supported initiative advances the KT goals of AllerGen's CanFAST Legacy Project. Read more

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  Asthma clinic in El Salvador

  Clinica del asma: Dr. Dean Befus opens in El Salvador's National Lung Hospital. Read more

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  Allergy Pals online

  Anaphylaxis Canada's peer-support program for food allergic kids is based on AllerGen research. Read more

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  1^st Scientific Meeting

  107 leading researchers and clinicians attend AllerGen’s first Network-wide Scientific Meeting. Read more

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  CHILD Study grant

  The CHILD Study receives a $1M, five-year CIHR operating grant. Read more

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  C-CARE recruitment

  AllerGen's anaphylaxis registry recruits its first 1,000 participants. Read more

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  CRRN partnership

  AllerGen supports the establishment of the Canadian Respiratory Research Network. Read more

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  Co-hosted poster competition

  AllerGen and CSACI co-host a trainee poster competition. Read more

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  8^th Trainee Symposium

  Over 50 trainees gather in Montreal, QC, for AllerGen's eighth Trainee Symposium. Read more

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  Food allergy in vulnerable populations

  CanFAST investigators publish results of the first survey to estimate the prevalence of food allergy among vulnerable Canadians. Read more

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  Air pollution sensors at Pan Am Games

  A device developed by AllerGen researchers monitors air pollution during the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games. Read more

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  CIC discovery

  AllerGen's clinical trials consortium discovers that an antibody can reduce asthma symptoms. Read more

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  Air pollution and asthma risk

  CHILD data reveals relationship between early exposure to air pollution and increased allergy risk. Read more

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  Early-life environmental exposures

  CHILD researchers assess indoor and outdoor environmental exposures for 3,217 infants. Read more

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  AllerGen-Stanford collaboration

  AllerGen enables young scientists to train with a food allergy leader at Stanford University. Read more

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  HQP video competition

  AllerGen trainees compete to create engaging, accessible videos about their research. Read more

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  3^rd Emerging Clinician-Scientist Fellowship

  Dr. Marylin Desjardins becomes the third recipient of AllerGen's major fellowship award. Read more

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  Allergy and Asthma Portal

  AllerGen launches the world’s most comprehensive database of the genes, proteins, and pathways associated with allergic disease. Read more

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  2014 Poster Competition

  AllerGen trainee research is showcased at a clinically-oriented conference. Read more

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  2^nd Scientific Meeting

  Seventy-one participants report on research progress and work to collectively update the Network’s research priorities to 2019. Read more

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  9^th Trainee Symposium

  Fifty-one HQP attend this professional development event, which features a grant review panel workshop. Read more

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  Travel Awards Program growing

  AllerGen’s Travel Awards Program, the Network’s most highly subscribed HQP program, continuers to grow. Read more

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  NCE confirms AllerGen funding to 2019

  The NCE program approves the final three years of funding for AllerGen. Read more

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  4 gut bacteria protect against asthma

  CHILD data show that infants with low levels of four gut bacteria have a higher risk of developing asthma. Read more

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  Antibiotics in birth affect microbiome

  CHILD research finds antibiotic use during delivery associated with a microbial imbalance in the infant gut microbiota. Read more

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  Building a national food allergy strategy

  AllerGen food allergy researchers hold a national stakeholder consultation to discuss developing a national strategy. Read more

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  Legacy partnership funds Fellowship

  A partnership with CAAIF ensures ongoing support for AllerGen's Emerging Clinician-Scientist Fellowship. Read more

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  CHILD video wins CIHR competition

  CHILD's whiteboard video wins first place in CIHR's 2015 "IHDCYH Talks" competition. Read more

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  1^st webinar series

  AllerGen hosts a series of webinars on Planning for Research Success. Read more

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  10^th Trainee Symposium

  A decade after its first symposium, AllerGen welcomes 54 HQP back to Toronto for its tenth. Read more

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  New Board Chair, Assoc. Scientific Director

  Dr. Pieter Cullis becomes AllerGen's fourth Board Chair; Dr. Kelly McNagny becomes AllerGen's first Associate Scientific Director. Read more

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  4^th Emerging Clinician-Scientist Fellowship

  Dr. Catherine Biggs becomes the fourth Fellowship holder since the award's launch in 2011. Read more

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  Fruit and cognitive development

  CHILD research finds that one-year-olds perform better on IQ tests if their moms ate more fruit while pregnant. Read more

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  Artificial sweeteners and infant BMI

  CHILD data show that consuming artificial sweeteners while preganant may put infants at higher risk of obesity. Read more

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  CIHR grants $6M to CHILD

  Four projects using CHILD data receive 5-year, $2M grants from CIHR. Read more

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  AllerGen research changes library policy

  CanFAST research findings influence food policy in Markham public libraries. Read more

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  CANUE consortium launched

  A new pan-Canadian urban health research effort led by an AllerGen investigator will leverage CHILD data. Read more

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  C-CARE measures anaphylaxis rates in kids

  AllerGen's national registry finds anaphylaxis is increasing among children. Read more

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  AllerGen White Paper exposes CAM claims

  A study of over 400 "alternative medicine" clinics finds over half make unproven allergy/asthma claims. Read more

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  Late introduction, higher food allergy risk

  CHILD research shows that delaying the introduction of allergenic foods to infants may increase their risk of developing a food allergy later. Read more

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  New CHILD video on air pollution

  A new video explores the CHILD research finding that early exposure to traffic pollution increases one's allergy risk. Read more

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  8^th Research Conference

  Over 170 delegates attend AllerGen's eighth Research Conference in Vancouver, BC. Read more

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  CHILD awarded $9M

  Genome Canada and partners award over $9 million to a CHILD project exploring the causes of childhood asthma. Read more

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  Pet exposure and allergy risk

  CHILD data show that early-life pet exposure affects the gut microbiota and influences allergy and obesity risk. Read more

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  Asthma genetics discovery

  AllerGen investigators contribute to world’s largest genetic study of asthma. Read more

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  Anaphylaxis despite adult oversight

  C-CARE’s anaphylaxis registry finds reactions to food common among children despite adult supervision. Read more

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  Breastfeeding and asthma risk

  CHILD research shows that breastfed babies wheeze less, putting them at a lower risk for asthma. Read more

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  ResearchSKETCHES launched

  AllerGen launches its ResearchSKETCHES online database and its first SKETCHES. Read more

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  2017 Scientific Meeting

  Fifty-nine participants gather at the Kingbridge Centre for AllerGen’s 2017 Scientific Meeting. Read more

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  CHILD website

  AllerGen launches a website dedicated to the CHILD Study. Read more

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  CIC findings further validated

  A CIC-tested biologic is poised to become a "game-changing, blockbuster" asthma drug. Read more

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  2017 Trainee Symposium

  AllerGen's 11^th Trainee Symposium includes four skill-building workshops. Read more

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  Mentorship award established

  AllerGen creates a mentorship award in memory of Michelle Harkness, former Manager of HQP Training. Read more

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  3^rd CAAIF-AllerGen Research Fellowship

  Dr. Lauren Solomon is awarded the 2017 CAAIF-AllerGen Research Fellowship. Read more