Junior Members Association News Archive
EAACI JMs come from all corners of the globe, and have been making significant contributions to the field of allergy. Read about some of their accolades here!
August 2024
Dear Junior Members,
The EAACI Summer symposium on Epithelial Cell Biology was held at the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), Davos, Switzerland, from July 25-26, 2024. During 2 exciting days, we attended different sessions by renowned speakers from different parts of the world with impressive talks on the epithelial barrier of the skin, gut and airway, metabolism, microbiome and their associated diseases.
Moreover, vibrant discussions were held during the 4 poster sessions, where most of the juniors presented more than 20 different posters that allowed us to learn and enrich ourselves while having informal discussions with the faculties and young colleagues. Of great importance was the networking activity during the lunch break on the first day, where we enjoyed a wonderful “lake walk with the experts” in which junior and seniors spent a pleasant time getting to know each other while enjoying a wonderful sunny midday.
We would like to take the opportunity to introduce the new EAACI Junior Member Assembly (JMA) for the next term 2024-2026, which has been elected after the annual congress. We welcome new members: Jitesh Chauhan (Basic and Clinical Immunology Section), Ozge Can Bostan (Asthma Section), Polina Pyatilova (Dermatology section), Fabio Ryser (ENT section), Bianca Olivieri (Food Allergy IG), Martha Jimenez Freites (Allergy immunotherapy IG), Gonçalo Silva (Environmental and occupational allergy IG), and Pedro Alves (Allied health and primary care IG), who joined previous board members: Ekaterina Khaleva (Paediatrics section), Riccardo Castagnoli (Allergy Diagnosis and systems medicine IG), Marina Labella (Drug Allergy IG), and Aspasia Karavelia, Ruben Fernandez-Santamaria and Leticia de las Vecillas, the new chair, the secretary and the past chair. We are very excited and looking forward to continue or even improve the current and future projects totally oriented to EAACI junior members.
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
June 2024
Dear Junior Members,
The EAACI Annual Congress 2024 was held from May 31 to June 3 in the vibrant city of Valencia, Spain. The event was an outstanding success! With an on-site attendance of 8,000 delegates, and more than 140 scientific sessions in which cutting-edge research in the field of Allergy and Clinical Immunology was presented and discussed.
The meeting provided fantastic opportunities for EAACI Junior Members (JMs) to enhance their knowledge in the field and network with other JMs through several activities specifically tailored for junior attendees.
The junior member assembly (JMA) organised a wide variety of scientific symposia, highlighting presentations by our colleagues from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, Dr. Stella Hartono, and Dr. Heike Hawerkamp from the young European Federation of Immunological Societies. Moreover, JMA organised the year in Review of the 3 EAACI Journals: Allergy, PAI, and CTA, where the outstanding achievements of these journals over the past year were highlighted. We were also able to attend the NAS-JMA and JMA-ROC symposia. Of great importance was the initiatives symposium, where the mentorship and fellowship programmes were presented, as well as the Allergopharma Award, not to mention the traditional JM poster and clinical case sessions.
For first time after the meeting held in Lisbon (2019), the JM event was held in the picturesque gardens of Villa Indiano. Here we celebrated the success of EAACI JMs and networked with our fellow JMs.
It is worth mentioning the important educational initiatives organised by the JMA, such as the JM Quiz, the Allergy College for undergraduate students, including the online session held immediately following the congress, or the 2nd edition of “Tell Us About Your Project”, which covered the expenses, and allowed the participation of JMs in the EAACI meeting. In sort, the JMA would like to thank all the JMs who participated in these events and all EAACI members who made this meeting a total success.
Looking forward to seeing you all again at the next congress in Glasgow!
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
April 2024
Dear Junior Members,
The EAACI Immunology Winter School 2024 was held this year (08-11 January) in the beautiful city of Zakopane (Poland). For 4 days, 70 EAACI junior members selected for the quality of their abstracts had the opportunity to enjoy the fantastic meeting organised by the EAACI Basic and Clinical Immunology Section. They had the chance to enjoy the brilliant talks of senior experts in 6 different keynote sessions, as well as the talks of other junior colleagues in 7 different oral abstract sessions, not forgetting the poster sessions, with more than 50 posters presented. During this edition, 6 different practical courses were carried out to learn about the most relevant advances in different immunology fields in a funny way. All these scientific events were accompanied by vibrant discussions, not only during the sessions, but also during dinners, breakfast, or coffee breaks.
As usual during the Winter School, different social activities were organised, so that we could enjoy together the snow of Zakopane, practicing winter sports, visiting the city, or walking on the top of its beautiful mountains. In short, we learned about the most relevant scientific techniques, with exchange of ideas from both senior and junior colleagues, but also, we had the opportunity to share experiences and grow both humanly and scientifically, as this meeting is totally orientated to juniors. That is why we encourage you to participate in the next edition of EAACI Winter School 2025, so we recommend you to be attentive to social networks, website and other means of dissemination of EAACI and JMA.
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
February 2024
Dear Junior Members,
The International Severe Asthma forum (ISAF) was held in a hybrid format from 5-7 October 2023 in the beautiful city of Rome (Italy). The meeting was a great success, with senior experts and juniors learning together about the most relevant scientific advances in the field of asthma research, which can be translated into clinical practice. The organising committee, which the participation of the secretary of the Junior Member Assembly (JMA), Mattia Giovannini, carefully designed a comprehensive scientific programme divided into different plenary, symposium and keynote sessions, useful practical courses, and different poster sessions, where the most exciting data were presented, and vibrant discussions took place.
Moreover, the Pediatric Allergy and Asthma Meeting (PAAM) 2023 was held in Porto, Portugal, from 2 to 4 November 2023. Junior Members (JMs) from different countries were able to attend sessions that highlight the latest scientific information regarding drug allergy in children, chronic urticaria in childhood, the management of immunodeficiencies, when the hydrolysed formula is recommended, mastocytosis and how to prevent food allergy among others. This event has also facilitated in person networking with the experts. Besides, JMs have coordinated the Clinical Village, divided into different stations depending on the topic. The latest algorithms were posted, and attendees were able to interact with JM and discuss hot topics.
Best wishes,
The Junior Member Assembly
January 2024
Dear Juniors,
The EAACI Summer Symposium on Epithelial Cell Biology was held from September 21-25 at Imperial College in London. During two days, we had the opportunity to learn and better understand the relationship between epithelial cells from different tissues and some pathologies. Of special interest were the updates on epithelial barrier and the different factors that affect its integrity and how its alteration influences the appearance of some allergic and inflammatory diseases.
The contribution of the Junior Members (JMs) was of special relevance through 4 different oral abstract sessions, where they had the opportunity to present their novel data. Moreover, we had the opportunity to attend a workshop on electric impendence spectroscopy. Overall, the symposium was a fantastic opportunity for JMs to learn and better understand the epithelial barrier models with important clinical relevance, through inspiring plenary talks, practical course and oral abstract sessions, all in a perfect atmosphere that allowed the interaction of all the participants
In October, the JMA Business Meeting was held in Florence, from October 8-10. During 3 days, EAACI JM representatives from different EAACI sections, working and interest groups met to discuss different aspects of the board.
There, the results of the different activities carried out by the EAACI JM assembly (JMA) were presented, having vibrant discussions, analysing the strengths and weakness of the current activities, as well as ways to improve them. Moreover, during 3 intense days, new ideas, projects, and collaborations have emerged.
In addition, we counted with the presence of EAACI president, Stefano Del Giacco; EAACI General Secretary, Maria Jose Torres (online), and Ibon Eguiluz (online), the asthma section chair (online), who explained their personal experience in EAACI, their vision and future projects. Francesca Mori and Alessandra Vultaggio also gave excellent talks related to drug allergy and immune response to biologics.
The meeting was of utmost importance to better coordinate the wide number of activities carried out by the JMA, analysing possible weakness and ways to improve them, but also to discuss about new ideas and projects that will be launched soon, so we recommend you to check our Social Media channels in order not to miss such fantastic opportunities.
Best wishes,
The Junior Member Assembly
November 2023
Dear Junior Members,
Last September was a busy month for EAACI members, and especially for junior members (JMs).
During the 7th Skin Allergy Club (SAC) (15-16 September 2023), some JMs met in Zurich, Switzerland. SAC brought together 10 JMs from different countries around the world, with outstanding presentations from our junior colleagues on atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, contact allergy, or drug eruptions among others. Moreover, clinical cases, new projects and recent discoveries were presented and accompanied by reinforcing discussions.
The experts Dr. Jose Luis Garcia, Dr. Pavel Kolkhir and Prof. Peter Schimd were present. Finally, the best presentation was awarded to Marine-Alexia Lefevre, with the title "Contact dermatitis: from biomarker discovery to the development of new molecular diagnostic approaches".
The Allergy School on Anaphylaxis 2023 was also held in İzmir, Turkey from 21-23 September. With more than 110 participants most of them JMs from more than 20 different countries, and 21 faculty members. For 3 days, participants had the opportunity to learn about the latest advances in anaphylaxis with various etiologies and how to apply them in clinical practice. We also had the opportunity to interact with experts and colleagues in the field through a diverse and comprehensive scientific program. In addition to theoretical meetings, there were workshops that included lectures and practices in a more friendly environment.
We are especially grateful for the attendance of the JMs who presented their latest and high-quality data during all sessions. Everyday there was time to interact and enhance friendships among other colleagues. Finally, on the social program, participants enjoyed an excursion to Ephesus.
Best wishes,
The Junior Member Assembly
October 2023
Dear Junior Members,
The World Immune Regulation Meeting (WIRM) was held in Davos, Switzerland on 6-9 July 2023. After two consecutive years with an online format, this year was held face-to-face first time after COVID-19 pandemic at the congress Centre of the Swiss city, and how we have missed this in-person congress!
This year it has been focused on “Immune Activation, Effector Functions and Immune Tolerance with a special focus on Autoimmunity and Allergy”. There, we were able to learn first-hand from more than 40 top-speakers from around the world divided in 12 sessions with a wide variety of topics, from T and B cell activation to COVID-19, viral infections, novel vaccine development or inflammation in cancer. Moreover, we were able to enjoy 12 workshops with more than 60 speakers and 11 poster session with more than 77 presenters.
The congress was a total success! As other editions, the meeting was big enough to learn from top-scientists, but also allowed the interaction between participants, not only during the discussions after the sessions, but also during the coffee breaks and poster sessions while enjoying dinner. Not to mention the idyllic landscape of Davos and the warm welcome from SIAF members and organising committee.
We strongly recommend you to keep up to date with the latest news and to participate in the next WIRM 2024. This is the ideal congress for both basic and clinical researchers!
Don't think twice!
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
August 2023
Dear Junior Members,
The EAACI Congress was held in Hamburg, Germany, from 09-11 June 2023 under the motto Pathways from precision medicine to personalized health care in allergy and asthma, with more than 120 scientific sessions.
During the annual meeting, the Junior Member Assembly (JMA) worked intensively to promote the engagement of EAACI Junior Members (JMs) through different initiatives. From a scientific perspective, the JMA organised scientific sessions: Human inborn errors of immunity: An expanding universe, Is there a link between sports and respiratory diseases?, Effect of pollution and environmental stress in allergy, Immunomodulatory strategies, and the traditional JM case report session and JM poster session.
From an educational point of view, the JMA also organised the Initiatives symposium on the different activities and JM opportunities, with talks on the experience of JMs and seniors in different EAACI initiatives such as the mentorship and fellowship programs, and the Allergopharma award, followed by an educational cocktail. In addition, an educational symposium on how to maximise the impact of research was held.
During these days the JMA members also attended different meetings of EAACI Sections, Interest Groups, and Working Groups to discuss, participate, and coordinate different task forces and projects. Moreover, as one of the JMA's priorities is the collaboration with EAACI journals, we also held different meetings with the EAACI journals: Allergy, PAI and CTA.
The JMA also has several educational opportunities such as the Allergy College, where 14 undergraduate science and medical students were able to attend to the congress online or in person in Hamburg. In addition, during an online session, they were able to present their results in a friendly atmosphere with other JMs and senior scientists. Moreover, 3 EAACI JMs from all over the world received a scholarship to attend the EAACI Congress in person, thanks the new Tell Us About your Project, a program to promote the communication skills of JMs.
In summary, the congress has been a success, with a great participation of the EAACI JMs. From the JMA we would like to thank the intense participation of the JMs in all the activities organised during the congress, as well as the organizers and all EAACI members, who have made possible another total success of the Meeting.
Looking forward to seeing you again at the next congress in Valencia!
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
July 2023
Dear Junior Members,
For the first time after the COVID-19 pandemic, the Drug Hypersensitivity Meeting (DHM) was held face-to-face in the beautiful city of Verona, Italy, from 27-29 April. With more than 800 participants, it was the most attended DHM ever, with 455 onsite participants and 399 online participants from more than 60 different countries.
Over three days, participants had the opportunity to learn about the latest advances in molecular and cellular tools for the diagnosis of drug hypersensitivity reactions and how to translate them into clinical practice. We were also able to interact with experts and colleagues in the field through a diverse and comprehensive scientific program, consisting of lectures, “meet-the-experts” sessions, “pro and cons” debates, clinical cases, poster discussion and oral abstract sessions, all of them with interesting and up-to-date data, followed by vibrant discussions.
We especially appreciate the attendance of the Junior Members who presented their latest and high-quality data during all sessions. Finally, in the EAACI Junior Member Social Event, we had the opportunity to meet face-to-face with junior colleagues from all over the world, while enjoying a fantastic Italian aperitif.
If you are interested in drug allergy, don't miss the opportunity to participate in the next EAACI DHM in 2025, the world's largest meeting focused on drug hypersensitivity.
See you there!
Best wishes,
The Junior Member Assembly
June 2023
Dear Junior Members,
On Monday, 3 April, board members of the Junior Member Assembly (JMA) had the great opportunity to visit the Allergy Journal offices, and the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF) in Davos, Switzerland.
In the morning, the Junior Members met with Prof. Cezmi Akdis, Editor-in-Chief of the Allergy Journal, and the Allergy Editorial Team (Laura Alberch, Managing Editor; Anna Globinska, Graphics Editor; Rüya Kilic Ögülür, Online Media Editor) to discuss state of the art and future perspectives regarding the fruitful collaboration between Allergy journal and JMA. Collaborations on numerous ambitious projects have been discussed, specifically focusing on educational programs.
After the meeting, the JM were guided through the SIAF Labs and facilities, and they met SIAF Principal Investigators and research teams.
After the lunch with an amazing mountain and lake view, JM and SIAF researchers joined together for an informative and pleasant symposium, where they discussed cutting-edge scientific ideas:
- Mattia Giovannini: Anaphylaxis Phenotypes in Children
- Cristina Boccabella: Small Airways Disease (SAD) in severe asthma as a novel endpoint and distinct target for Mepolizumab (SASAM Study)
- Riccardo Castagnoli: Translational approaches to dissect microbiota-host interactions in inborn errors of immunity
- Rubén Fernández-Santamaría: Cellular recognition of drug antigenic determinants. New parameters to improve in vitro tests.
- Yasutaka Mitamura: Diving deep into skin immunology: Novel subsets of macrophages, dendritic cells, T cells and fibroblasts and their interactions in atopic dermatitis
- Urszula Radzikowska: Immune metabolism
- Ismail Ogülür: Food emulsifiers, dishwasher detergents and epithelitis
- Duygu Yazici: Organochips (organ-on-a-chips) and future of the epithelial barrier research
- Damir Zhakparov: Feature Selection Workflow for RNAseq Datasets with regard to Biomedical Relevance
- Yagiz Pat: Organoids and future of epithelial barrier research
- Manal Bel Imam: B cells, antibodies and biomarkers in eosinophilic esophagitis.
- Pattraporn Satitsuksanoa: Distinct mechanisms of induced and natural immune tolerance
For the Junior Members, it has been an unforgettable experience!
We encourage all the JM to attend the World Immune Regulation Meeting (WIRM) 2023 that will be held in Davos from 5 to 8 July 2023 (more info available at https://www.wirm.ch/).It will be a wonderful opportunity to meet all the SIAF researchers and other international experts in the beautiful city of Davos.
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
May 2023
Dear Junior Members,
The EAACI Allergy School 2023 was a great success with 88 participants! This year, the meeting was held from 23 to 25 March in beautiful Taormina, Sicily in Italy, in a stunning venue between the impressive Etna and the wonderful Mediterranean coast.
During these 3 days, 54 Juniors Members could learn about food allergy in terms of impact, prevention and management, as well as diagnosis, immunotherapy, and also novelties in the field. They were able to interact with experts from all over the world.
JMs also played a key role in the poster session with excellent oral presentations. During theses 2 sessions, they could share and exchange data about their findings with experienced specialists.
In addition, they participated in a practical session where they were trained in allergy diagnosis through performing direct skin tests, understanding blood testing and oral food challenge.
As usual, social events, friendly mood and networking activities were the cherry on the cake of this enriching experience that characterizes EAACI congresses.
Congratulation to the organizing committee and many thanks to all participants in this meeting, especially the junior members, who made this meeting a real success.
We can’t wait for the next EAACI event!
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
April 2023
Dear Junior Members,
On 24-25 March, the EAACI-ESCD Skin Allergy Meeting (SAM) took place in digital format, with the participation of 345 attendees. With great pride, we were able to see the contribution of many junior members who presented case reports and results of their original studies through Poster Sessions or Oral Presentations. The experience was very enriching, and our knowledge has certainly improved a lot.
During 2 intense days participants from all over the world had the opportunity to share and discuss innovative findings in the exciting fields of skin allergy, cutaneous drug allergy and pediatric contact dermatitis.
With 8 plenary symposia, it was possible to learn about new findings and data on different facets of skin allergy; the possibility to interact with the speakers during Live Q&A; exclusive meet-the-expert and numerous oral and poster discussion sessions.
On the first day, we enjoyed inspiring talks about Atopic Dermatitis, Allergic Contact Dermatitis, Urticaria and Cutaneous Drug and Food Allergy. On the following day, the sessions were around Angioedema, Drug Allergy and Pediatric Contact Dermatitis, with “How to handle difficult cases – meet the experts” in between.
After the event, you will be able to access the presented abstract texts on the EAACI Knowledge hub.
The SAM was a great success, and we hope to see you again, in two years!
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
March 2023
Dear Junior Members,
The EAACI Winter School 2023 has been a great success! This year, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the meeting, it was held in Davos, Switzerland, the place where it was first held!
During 4 exciting days (26-29 January 2023), 70 Junior Members from all over the world had the opportunity to share their innovative results related to allergy and Immunology. For the first time, the meeting had an innovative format. On the first day, we enjoyed inspiring talks by Liam O'Mahony, Oscar Palomares, Mary Prunicki and Sirpa Pietikainen. You can see again these talks at the EAACI Knowledge Hub.
We also enjoyed the 6 keynote lectures by leading experts in their fields, the 20 oral presentations by Junior Members with a wide variety of topics and the 48 poster presentations, where we were able to discuss a lot about our studies and results, with inspiring interaction with faculties and with other Juniors. The experience was very enriching, and our research has certainly improved a lot.
In addition, we had the opportunity to visit the Swiss Institute for Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF). There, we see the facilities and equipment on confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, classification, mass spectrometry... explained by SIAF members. Moreover, we can work in small groups during workshop sessions to discuss about what we already know and unmet needs in relation to Environment and Immunology. After the discussions, on the last day, each group presented its conclusions to all participants, and the outcome of these workshops was a total success!
We cannot forget to mention the networking activities and the important interaction between the participants during breakfast, lunch, and dinner, characteristic of this meeting.
The Winter School was a great success! We hope to see you again next year in Zakopane (Poland).
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
December 2022
Dear Junior Members,
ISMA-RHINA Digital 2022
The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis meeting (FAAM) and the European Consortium on the Application of Flow Cytometry in Allergy (EUROBAT) was held between 1-3 December 2022 in an online format. More than 600 participants joined this exciting meeting, where experts from all over the world and young scientists discussed the latest data on food allergy, anaphylaxis and the usefulness of basophil and mast cell activation tests.
EAACI Junior Members played an important role throughout the event. During EUROBAT, Leticia de las Vecillas, chair of the EAACI Junior Members Assembly (JMA), presented an interesting poster related to the usefulness of the basophil activation test in Rivaroxaban allergy. In addition, Ruben Fernandez-Santamaria, JM representative for the Basic and Clinical Immunology Section, presented an oral abstract related to the basophil activation test and chemotherapeutic agents.
Junior members also played a key role during FAAM, with posters and oral presentations related to risk factors, prevention, mechanisms, immunotherapy, and clinical management of food allergy. It is worth mentioning the presentation by Carmen Riggioni, past chair of the JMA, who explained in depth and comprehensively the EAACI guidelines on the diagnosis of food allergy.
The JM assembly would like to congratulate and thank all the participants in this meeting, especially the junior members, whose work, scientific contribution, and enthusiasm significantly improve our specialty on a daily basis.
We look forward to seeing you at the next EAACI events!
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
November 2022
Dear Junior Members,
ISMA-RHINA Digital 2022
The International Symposium on Molecular Allergology (ISMA) and the European Rhinallergy Meeting (RHINA) was held online on 4-5 November 2022.
We had the opportunity to learn about the latest findings in molecular allergology and rhinallergy from internationally renowned experts. A wide variety of topics were presented in different sessions, from plenary and symposium to flash talks and interactive workshop sessions, all accompanied by interesting and exciting live discussions.
During the meeting, the news of the EAACI Molecular Allergology User Guide (MAUG 2.0) were presented, and a wide range of topics on molecular diagnosis, the structure of determinants, chemical modifications of allergens, as well as the latest news on the most relevant advances in airway diseases, immunomodulation and how to transfer these advances from the bench to the clinical routine have been discussed.
The meeting was a resounding success with more than 300 participants learning about new findings to be implemented in both the clinical practice and research labs!
We look forward to seeing you at the next EAACI events!
October 2022
Dear Junior Members,
JMA Business Meeting 7h of September 2022
The EAACI new JM Assembly board had the pleasure to invite all Junior Members to join the first Business Meeting after its election, held virtually on the 7h of September 2022.
It was a wonderful opportunity for everyone to follow the Scientific Lecture of Professor Mariana Castells, who discussed about mast cell disorders and alpha tryptasemia. This is one of the main topics of her recent research activity focused on describing clinical, immunological and genetic characteristics of patients with Hereditary alpha-tryptasemia (HαT). HαT is an autosomal dominant genetic trait associated with an increased risk of anaphylaxis. It may predispose to mast cell–related abnormalities and may present with clinical symptoms of mast cell activation. Given this specific clinical HαT phenotype, Professor Castells suggests a new possible genetic approach and reinforced the use of monoclonal Anti-IgE antibodies as a valid treatment choice.
At the end of this interesting talk and the subsequent discussion, the JMA Chair Leticia De las Vecillas and the Secretary Mattia Giovannini presented the new JMA board 2022-2024, describing current and future activities and projects organised by the JMA. To note, the JMA collaboration with EAACI journals (PAI, CTA and Allergy) promotes the dissemination of high-quality scientific contents and increases their visibility among JMs. Moreover, all JMs are encouraged to join plenty of initiatives with the purpose of building educational programs focused on Allergology and giving research and clinical training opportunities (i.e. Mentorship program, Allergy college, JM quizz).
It is always a fruitful opportunity to attend these meetings which give to all the juniors the chance to get updated on the topics of interest, learn together from experts, share experiences and network with other members. We all would like to thank JMA and EAACI society for organising this event!
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
September 2022
Dear Junior Members,
The World Immune Regulation Meeting (WIRM) was held in Davos, Switzerland, from 6 to 9 July 2022 after two consecutive years with an online format
The meeting focused on “Immune Activation, Effector Functions and Immune Tolerance with a special focus on Autoimmunity and Allergy”. We had the opportunity to learn first-hand from more than 40 top-speakers from around the world. The topics, divided in twelve, ranged from T and B cell activation to immunity against viral infections -including COVID-19-, novel vaccine development and inflammation in cancer. In addition, we were able to enjoy 12 workshops with more than 60 speakers and 11 poster sessions with more than 70 presenters.
The congress was a total success! As in previous editions, the meeting allowed the participants to directly interact with top scientists in the field, not only during the meeting sessions and workshops, but also during the networking events and inspiring poster sessions while enjoying a delicious dinner. Not to mention the idyllic scenery of Davos and the warm welcome of the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF) members and the organising committee.
We encourage you to participate in the next WIRM, an ideal congress for both basic and clinical researchers, which will be held in 5-8 July 2023.
Keep you up to date with the latest news by clicking here
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
August 2022
Dear Junior Members,
EAACI Hybrid Congress 2022
The EAACI annual congress 2022 was held on 1-3 July with a hybrid format. Online and in person in Prague, Czech Republic. The event was a solid success! Onsite attendance reached 4,500 delegates, while 3,000 delegates tuned it from all 5 continents - over 100 countries represented in a diverse and extremely rich audience. The congress delivered more than 80 scientific sessions as part of an extensive program tailored to offer the most advanced research available in our specialty.
The meeting represented a wonderful opportunity for the EAACI Junior Members (JM) to improve their knowledge and expand their collaborative network. During the congress, the JMA organized several activities dedicated to the juniors:
On Friday, 01 July 2022, in the JM Scientific Symposium “Exploring the AXIS communications in allergy and chronic diseases” the speakers, Riccardo Castagnoli, Elisabeth Tham and Giada De Palma presented the complex interplays that characterize the immune-gut, the skin-gut and the brain-gut axis.
On Saturday, 02 July 2022, during the Educational Session, Cezmi Akdis, Thomas Eiwegger, and Anna Globinska instructed the audience with helpful advice to improve paper writing skills, better deal with peer-review process and graphically represent the results. Moreover, several JM were able to present their data at the JM Case report session and JM Poster session.
The congress also represented the opportunity to meet the students who attended the EAACI Allergy College. EAACI is doing a tremendous effort to promote education on Allergology among students and fellows around the world. The Allergy College program gives to undergraduate students the possibility to collaborate with mentors, selected for their prominent expertise. These collaborations were extremely fruitful with many students actively involved in the congress.
In addition, during the congress, the EAACI Knowledge Hub was launched. It represents a fresh and interactive digital platform where scientific and educational resources are made available to the EAACI members. In the EAACI Knowledge Hub it is possible to read the latest research in terms of guidelines, books, journals, position papers and much more… we encourage you to explore it!
Moreover, on Saturday, 02 July 2022, the new Molecular Allergology User’s Guide 2.0 was presented. After the success of the first edition of “EAACI Molecular Allergology User’s Guide”, the new Molecular Allergology User’s Guide 2.0 provides state-of-the-art information on allergen molecules, their clinical relevance and application in diagnostic algorithms for clinical practice. You can find more about Molecular Allergology User’s Guide 2 by clicking here
Finally, the initiative “Beat Allergy Run & Walk in Prague!” represented a way to to raise awareness about allergy and a great opportunity for JM to meet each other running.
The 2022 annual congress has been a wonderful experience! It might be over, but we are already looking forward to meeting again in Hamburg, Germany and online on June 9-11 at the EAACI Hybrid Congress 2023!
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
July 2022
Dear Junior Members,
The New JMA board 2022-2024
Few weeks ago, during the EAACI 2022 Annual Congress hold in Prague, the new representatives of the Junior Member Assembly met for the first time. The new JM representatives, Riccardo Castagnoli (IG Allergy Diagnosis & Systems Medicine), Deniz Eyice Karabacak (Allergen Immunotherapy), Marina Labella (IG Drug Allergy), Ekaterina Khaleva (Pediatrics Section) and Ruben Fernandez-Santamaria (Basic & Clinical Immunology Section) joined the previous members, Cristina Boccabella (Asthma Section), Daniela Carvalho (Dermatology Section), Aspasia Karavelia (ENT Section), Farah Hannachi (Allied Health & Primary Care Section), Beatriz Moya (IG Food Allergy) and Magna Correia (IG Environmental and Occupational Allergy).
The elected chair of the board, Leticia de las Vecillas, the new secretary, Mattia Giovannini and the past chair, Carmen Riggioni successfully organised this meeting with the help and great collaboration of JMA board 2019-2022 members. During the Annual Congress, different activities such as Scientific Symposium, Educational Session, JM Case report and JM Poster session were organised by the previous board. In addition, this face-to-face meeting allowed us to get to know each other, as well as to start organising and familiarising ourselves with the JMA activities.
For all the new elected members, the common purpose is to follow the teachings of previous board members and to encourage ideas in innovative projects and collaborations. As representatives of the juniors, we will try to give as much visibility as possible to the enormous work that the JMs do within the Academy, promoting new projects, collaborations and activities.
There is a lot to learn, a lot of new ideas, enthusiasm, and hard work... we hope that the next two years will be as successful for the EAACI JM as the previous ones.
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
Image 1: The New JMA board 2022-2024
May 2022
Dear Junior Members,
Do not miss the Master Class on Adolescents and Young Adults!
It will take place in person on 20-21 May 2022, in Geneva (Switzerland). The main goal of the Master Class is to understand the challenges faced by adolescents and young adults with allergies and asthma, why adolescents and young adults are at risk patients, and to learn how help adolescents and young adults better self-manage their allergies and asthma. The Master Class will be held by a panel of experts and the organising chairs are Dr G. Roberts, Dr M. Vazquez-Ortiz and Dr P. Eigenmann (also editor-in-chief of the EAACI Paediatric Allergy and Immunology Journal).
If you are interested in participating, you can find more information through the link.
Look forward to seeing you there!
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
March 2022
Dear Junior Members,
Do not miss the next upcoming EAACI appointments!
1-day digital Drug Hypersensitivity Meeting (DHM) 2022
Due to pandemic-related issues, the DHM has been postponed to 2023. Meanwhile, to address urgent and actual issues, a 1-day digital DHM will be held in a highly interactive format on April 21, 2022. The purpose is to discuss and share research and experiences about the evolving field of vaccines and allergic reactions, a pressing topic source of doubts and debates in the current allergy landscape. The scientific programme will include symposia on virus infection and drug allergy, how viral infections modulate drug allergy, diagnosis of adverse drug reactions to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, and much more! A selected panel of experts will participate at the meeting including Dr. P. Bonadonna (the DHM chair), Prof. M. Atanaskovic (the Drug Allergy Interest Group chair), Prof. M. J. Torres (Drug Allergy Interest Group past-chair), Prof. M. Castells, Prof. A. Barbaud and Dr. K. Brockow.
Of note, young researchers will have the opportunity to present their clinical studies in a 5-minute-oral-abstract format in the Young Scientists Corner.
You can find more information about DHM 2022 following this link
Master Class on Perioperative Hypersensitivity
If your main interest is on drug allergy and want to expand your knowledge on perioperative hypersensitivity, do not miss this Master Class that will be held in person in Verona (Italy) on April 19-21, 2022. The attendees will improve their experience in the management and investigation of these complicated patients with an overview of the epidemiology, clinical presentations and differential diagnosis, common triggers with a special focus on antibiotics and neuromuscular blocking agents and hidden allergens. A special emphasis will be put on the advantages and limitations of test methods: in vitro tests, skin testing and drug provocation.
The master Class is organized by Dr. L. H. Garvey (EAACI Drug Allergy IG Board Member), Dr P. Bonadonna (EAACI Dermatology Section Board Member), Dr. I. Terreehorst (EAACI WG Eosinophilic Esophagitis) and Dr. S. Farooque.
If you are interested in the topic and need more information on the event you can check the following link
Look forward to seeing you at the EAACI incoming activities and working together.
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
January 2022
Dear Junior Members,
Immunology Winter School – digital 2022
The 20th Immunology Winter School on Basic Immunology Research in Allergy and Clinical Immunology took place digitally on January 27-30, 2022. Despite the pandemic, the attendance was extraordinary with participants of 19 countries from 4 continents.
The organising committee of the Winter School was formed by Eva Untersmayr-Elsenhuber (chair of the Basic & Clinical Immunology Section) and Milena Sokolowska (secretary of the Basic & Clinical Immunology Section) in close collaboration with the organizing committee members: Inge Kortekaas-Krohn and Andrzej Eljaszewicz (Basic & Clinical Immunology Section), and Wojciech Feleszko (chair of the Infections Working Group). In addition, it had a strong scientific and organizational support from the rest of the Basic & Clinical Immunology Section members.
The Winter School maintained its “famous young” and networking atmosphere with an elegant and functional online platform, reflecting the Winter School character, developed by the dedicated EAACI HQ team. The platform included unique social and team building activities such as virtual escape rooms and gathering events. As usual, the Winter School highlighted the work of JMs that contributed with oral (20) and poster presentations (54). They also had the opportunity to attend practical courses on various topics including biologicals, immunonutrition, microbiology, immunodeficiencies and cancer, which were performed by Thomas Eiwegger, Carina Venter, Wojciech Feleszko, Anna Sediva and Erika Jensen-Jarolim.
The highest scientific quality of the Winter School was ensured with the participation of worldwide renowned scientists in the field of B cell immunity (Scott Boyd), viral infections (Cecilia Johansson), microbiota (Yasmine Belkaid) T cell epigenetics (Wilfried Ellmeier), allergy (Edward Knol) and environmental immunology (Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann).
Next year, the Winter School will be celebrated in Davos (Switzerland), where it originally started, with Cezmi A. Akdis joining as local organizing committee chair. It will have the participation of great speakers selected for this unique occasion and special scientific and networking events celebrating the 20th anniversary, which has been postponed due to the pandemic.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Image 1: Virtual Platform screenshot
Image 2: Group photo taken at the closing ceremony of the Immunology Winter School – digital 2022
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
December 2021
Dear Juniors,
Despite these challenging times, EAACI is keeping up with several scientific activities, aiming to being able to meet you all in person soon! The next upcoming appointments are:
- EAACI Pediatric Allergy and Asthma Meeting (PAAM) digital 2021:
It will take place on 12–13 November 2021, in an interactive hybrid format that will allow you to take part in scientific discussions both on-site both from the safety of your home through an innovative and highly interactive concept. The aim is to share new research and findings with internationally renowned experts in the common effort to come up with solutions to the most pressing challenges in the evolving pediatric field.
You can find any information about PAAM by clicking here
- 20th Immunology Winter School on Basic Immunology Research in Allergy and Clinical Immunology:
It will take place from 27 to 30 January 2022, in Semmering (Austria) in an interactive hybrid format. The event will gather 70 young researchers, PhD students and junior postdoc, active in the field of allergy, asthma, clinical immunology/immune deficiency with a focus on basic and/or clinical immunology. The participants will be selected on the basis of the quality of their submitted abstracts.
You can submit your abstract until the 7th of November by clicking here
We look forward to seeing you at our incoming activities and working together to ensure that the highest standards of care are implemented and shared within our specialty.
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
July 2021
Dear JMs,
The EAACI 2021 Annual Congress will be taking place on 10 - 12 July in a hybrid format, with both a physical part that will be held in Krakow both a digital part to allow anybody to attend safely. You are still on time to register by clicking here to have full live access to EAACI Hybrid Congress 2021 (3 days) and full access On Demand until December 31, 2021.
This is the main event of the Academy, and one of the biggest international dedicated to Allergy and Clinical Immunology. It gathers thousands of delegates from all around the world, and offers simultaneous sessions covering all aspects of our specialty.
Don't miss this opportunity and join us!
As every year the Junior Member Assembly (JMA) has organised some meetings to share knowledge and opportunity among JMs.
Here the Agenda with the highly suggested appointments:
- Monday, 28 June 2021, 15:00-16:00 CET: Open JM Business Meeting.
Invited guest Prof. Cezmi Akdis with the talk “Future direction of epithelial barrier research in the allergy and immunology field”. You can register by clicking here.
- Saturday, 10 July 2021, 14:00-15:30 CET: JMA Scientific Symposium.
Three excellent speeches on the theme "Approaching infants at high risk of allergic disease":
- Dr R. Jiménez-Saiz, “Understanding immunological mechanisms that confer a higher risk of allergy”;
- Dr M. M. Kelleher, “Infants at high risk of food allergy: nutritional and skin barrier repair interventions”;
- Dr I. Eguiluz-Gracia, “Exposome modulation and immunotherapy in infants at higher risk of respiratory allergies”.
- Sunday, 11 July 2021, 14:00-15:30 CET: JMA Educational Session.
Composed of three very current speeches on "Lessons learned from COVID-19 pandemic":
- Dr A. DunnGalvin, “Mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: how to cope with job stress and build resilience”;
- “Infodemic and the lesson of the COVID-19 pandemic: how to tackle health-related misinformation”;
- Dr B. Moya, “COVID-19 vaccination: Separating facts from fiction for your patients”.
Save the dates!
Looking forward to meeting you all at the 2021 EAACI Annual Hybrid Congress!
Best regards,
The Junior Member Assembly
May 2021
ALLERGY COLLEGE 2021 - a JMA initiative to approach allergy and immunology to undergraduate students.
The Allergy College is an important initiative for increasing the visibility of our specialty among the future generation of scientists and clinicians across Europe. This year, a renewed virtual edition will take place during the 2021 EAACI Annual Hybrid Congress. The Allergy College is an excellent opportunity for undergraduate science and medical students to learn the challenges and rewards of starting a professional career in the field of Allergy and Immunology.
To apply, please send your CV and a short motivation letter. The selected students will receive waived digital registration for the Hybrid EAACI 2021 Congress. In addition, they will be matched with a mentor to prepare an abstract regarding a clinical case, a proposal for a scientific review or a short research study for presentation at the virtual Allergy College session.
Deadlines:
May 10: application deadline
May 20: matching with mentor
June 20: abstract submission deadline (250 words)
June 25: acceptance notification
We encourage you to promote this initiative amongst your medical and basic science undergraduate students and professional/academic network. If you are interested in collaborating as a mentor, please contact us for further information at the email address juniormembers@eaaci.org.
EAACI JM board representatives met with allergy fellows training in Turkey
The EAACI JM board in collaboration with the Turkish National Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (TNSACI) held a virtual meeting on April 18, 2021 for the allergy fellows training in Turkey. The aim of the meeting was to share knowledge and experiences about the educational and scientific opportunities offered by EAACI.
The meeting was hosted by Dr. Aslı Gelincik (foreign relations chair of the TNSACI Executive Committee (ExCom) and an EAACI member-at-large in the ExCom), and Dr. Stefano del Giacco (EAACI Education & Specialty VP). The EAACI JM board was represented by the JM board chair, Dr. Carmen Riggioni, and the secretary, Dr. Pasquale Comberiati.
The meeting topics were chosen based on a 22-question survey prepared by Drs Aslı Gelincik and Özge Aktaş Öztürk (TNSACI- EAACI National Societies Committee (NAS) JM representative). The survey was completed by the fellows in training and evaluated knowledge and expectations about JM activities and educational programmes. In this regard, Dr. Stefano del Giacco explained the structuring of EAACI and the novel and comprehensive “EAACI e-learning platform” which provides user-friendly resources including courses, webcasts, podcasts, lectures, and more.
Dr. Carmen Riggioni described the EAACI activities targeted to JMs such as the clinical and research Fellowship Programs, the Mentorship Program, scholarships for the EAACI congresses and meetings, the JM e-bulletin, the JM corners at Allergy and PAI journals’ websites and, in particular, the new collaboration between JMs and the EAACI journals that attracted considerable attention by the audience.
The meeting was attended by more than 300 young allergists in Turkey and gave more visibility to EAACI educational and scientific activities. Attendees felt the spirit of being part of the EAACI family in a friendly atmosphere. The EAACI JM board aims to organize additional meetings with JMs throughout Europe to motivate young allergists to engage with EAACI, which will contribute to their academic and scientific development.
Looking forward to meeting you all at the 2021 EAACI Annual Hybrid Congress!
Best regards,
The JMA
April 2021
Dear Junior Members,
The Skin Annual Meeting (SAM) was a collaborative effort between EAACI and the European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD), counting with Charlotte Mortz, Thomas Rustemeyer, Lars Poulsen and Barbara Ballmer-Weber as its organizers. It took place virtually on March 12-13 and had 570 participants. The digital platform was designed for the meeting to be interactive and to promote discussion between speakers and participants.
We had the opportunity to hear the latest scientific findings regarding skin diseases, particularly on atopic dermatitis (AD) with Tio Biedermann, Mette Deleuran and Thomas Rustemeyer; allergic contact dermatitis (CD) with Jeanne Duus Johansen, Wolfgang Uter and An Goossens; and mast cell diseases with Martin Metz, Clive Grattan and Sigurd Broesby-Olsen as well as the interaction between drug allergy, food allergy and anaphylaxis in skin diseases with Werner Pichler, Knut Brockow, Maja Mockenhaupt, Carsten Bindslev-Jensen, Frank Siebenhaar, Margitta Worm, Helen Brough, Charlotte Mortz, Barbara Ballmer-Weber, Margarida Gonçalo and Kristiina Aalto-Korte.
SAM included several informative poster and oral presentations, and some of the latter covered hot topics. For instance, case reports were shown, including skin diseases seen in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Several key messages were highlighted. For instance, in regard to AD treatment due to their complexity and broader targeting, it is important to consider AD comorbidities before deciding on a treatment. Additionally, CD incidence among AD patients has been increasing increased, and this is likely due to exposure to fragrances, non-noble metals, emollients, corticosteroids and other frequently used product (e.g., medical devices).
SAM included sessions directed to JM such as “Meet the experts – How to handle difficult cases”. In this activity, JMs were divided in five small groups to learn, interact and ask experts about a relevant topic. The groups were the following: allergic CD; AD and biologics; anaphylaxis to drug/excipients; urticaria/angioedema and mastocytosis; and food anaphylaxis.
In sum, SAM was highly successful and scientifically exciting for both seniors and JMs.
We look forward to seeing you at the next EAACI event, the International Severe Asthma Forum (ISAF), on 17th April 2021!
All the best,
The Junior Member Board
Image 1: SAM Digital Platform - Home Page
Image 2: Welcome Address presentation
January 2021
Junior Member Quiz – EAACI Annual Congress 2021
Dear Juniors,
We are happy to tell you that the JM quiz is already online. This means that you have the chance to get a free registration for the EAACI Annual Congress 2021, which will take place from July 10 to 12, 2021.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EAACI Annual Congress 2021 will be held in a new hybrid format which includes experiencing Madrid (Spain) digitally and Krakow (Poland) in person. This flexible format will allow participants to attend safely from anywhere in the world while accessing valuable clinical and scientific symposia and discussions with the EAACI experts´ community.
The JM Quiz consists of 5 single or multiple choice immunology/allergy questions regarding recent EAACI publications including guidelines and position papers, with the aim to test and improve your scientific skills. A different quiz will be posted every month from January to April. One quiz winner will be selected monthly, except in April when there will be two winners, to receive a free registration for the EAACI Annual Congress 2021.
Do not miss the opportunity to get a free registration and to attend the EAACI Annual Congress!
Test your skills by clicking the link.
Immunology Winter School – Digital 2021
Dear Juniors,
The 19th Immunology Winter School on Basic Immunology Research in Allergy and Clinical Immunology took place digitally on January 22-24, 2021. Despite the pandemic, the attendance was extraordinary with participants of 27 countries from 5 continents.
The organising committee of the Winter School was formed by Eva Untersmayr-Elsenhuber (chair of the Basic & Clinical Immunology Section) and Milena Sokolowska (secretary of the Basic & Clinical Immunology Section) in collaboration with the organizing committee members: Inge Kortekaas-Krohn and Andrzej Eljaszewicz (Basic & Clinical Immunology Section), and Wojciech Feleszko (chair of the Infections Working Group), and had the support of the rest of the Basic & Clinical Immunology Section members.
The Winter School maintained its “young” and networking atmosphere with an elegant and functional online platform, and promoted the participation of Junior Members that contributed with oral (20) and poster presentations (46). Furthermore, the scientific quality of the Winter School was raised with the participation of worldwide renowned scientists in the field of trained immunity (Mihai Netea, The Netherlands), immunometabolism (Lydia Lynch, USA), innate lymphoid cells (Hergen Spits, The Netherlands) and the homeostatic role of IgE (Jessica Strid, UK) and IgG (Jagadeesh Bayry, France).
Next year, the Winter School will be memorable as it will be the 20th anniversary. It will be celebrated in Davos (Switzerland), where it originally started. It will have the participation of special speakers particularly selected for this unique occasion. We look forward to seeing you there! Nevertheless, our next stop will be in March at the Skin Allergy Meeting (SAM) – digital. Click here.
November 2020
Dear Juniors,
The COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing and, expectedly, many EAACI activities have been affected. Despite these challenging times, EAACI is making a tremendous effort to keep up with the current scientific activities.
We hope that you could attend the latest Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Meeting (FAAM) – EUROBAT, which took place digitally on October 16-17, 2020. It was a very interesting and productive online event thank to the outstanding leadership of Clare Mills and Kate Grimshaw from the FAAM Organising Committee; and Bernadette Eberlein, Anna Nopp Schermann, Cristobalina Mayorga and Hans Jürgen Hoffmann from the EUROBAT Organising Committee. Alexandra Santos was part of both the FAAM and BAT Organising Committees.
Two members of the JMA (Beatriz Moya from the Food Allergy IG, and Rodrigo Jiménez-Saiz from the Basic & Clinical Immunology Section) were very active in FAAM-EUROBAT via moderating sessions and giving invited talks. Although we could not meet in person, the FAAM-EUROBAT meeting gave us the chance to share ideas and to improve our knowledge through a highly interactive platform.
For registered participants, the scientific content will remain available on demand for up to 6 months, which is a useful approach that will likely be applied in other EAACI meetings, even after the pandemic. To access the digital content, please click here
We look forward to seeing you in January at the 2021 Winter School on Basic Immunology Research in Allergy and Clinical Immunology digital event.
Stay safe,
The JMA
August 2020
Dear Junior Members,
Due to the pandemic, the upcoming EAACI meetings are going to be digital. Do not miss the opportunity to attend them safely from your home/working place!
The International Severe Asthma Forum (ISAF) Digital 2020 is a focused meeting that covers aspects of severe asthma going from basic immunologic pathways to the latest biological therapies. It will take place on October 24. Junior Members are exempted from registration fees and abstract submission is still open. Click here for more information.
The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Meeting (FAAM) will be held in conjunction with the European Consortium on Application of Flow Cytometry in Allergy (EuroBAT). The FAAM–EuroBAT digital 2020 will take place from October 16 to 17. This joint meeting will cover the the latest clinical and scientific findings on food allergy and anaphylaxis, and the application of BAT in food allergy, drug allergy as well as other mixed topics plus. You can submit your abstract until August 20 and registration fee for Junior Members is reduced to 50 euros. Click here for more information.
Enjoy the EAACI digital meetings!
Kind regards,
The EAACI JM board.
April 2020
The compendium answering 150 questions on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: a JMA-Allergy collaboration
The collaboration between the JMA and Allergy has been invigorated, particularly since Prof. Cezmi A. Akdis became the Editor-in-Chief. The latest joint effort, which included a total of 42 scientists and physicians, has yielded a timely compendium answering 150 questions on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. The article is structured in questions formulated by JMs and answers provided by senior EAACI members and experts in the field and supported by more than 300 references. The article represents a fruitful sharing of knowledge between young and senior clinicians and scientists, outlining a complete and practical overview regarding SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 and allergic diseases. Specifically, the main areas covered include immunology, virology, diagnosis, treatments, clinical trials, drug discovery, vaccine development, management of patients with allergic disease and asthma, and epidemiology. The article, recently accepted for publication in Allergy, can be downloaded here.
EAACI Annual Congress 2020 goes digital
The EAACI Annual Congress 2020 was fully digital due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While staying safe at home, we had the opportunity to attend to high-quality scientific talks including keynotes, state-of-the-art and industry symposia, and oral and poster presentations.
Most of the congress scientific content can be accessed, by those who had registered, through the EAACI Digital Congress 2020 platform for 6 months by clicking here.
For all of those who were not registered, the content will be available in the upcoming weeks in the form of thematic packages and can be purchased at the EAACI Media Library.
The aim of the EAACI congress is to share the latest scientific and medical advances in allergy. Do not miss the opportunity to still join the digital EAACI Annual Congress 2020!
Best regards,
The JMA
February 2020
Letter to the JMs
The EAACI Annual Congress, which will be held in London this year, is coming up! All JMs have the chance of gaining a travel grant consisting of up to €500 to cover travel expenses related to the EAACI Annual Congress.
We have launched a quiz on the EAACI website: it is time to test your knowledge on allergy, immunology and… on our Academy! A winner is selected every month (2 in April) and the quiz is already available so, click here and do not miss the opportunity to win!
We look forward to greeting you in London!
The Junior Member Assembly Board
New Year? New News!
The ongoing collaboration between EAACI Junior Members and ERS (European Respiratory Society) Early Career Members has yielded a relevant Allergy publication: “The need for clean air: The way air pollution and climate change affect allergic rhinitis and asthma”.
It explains the correlation between air pollution and climate change. In addition, it discusses the implementation of allergic rhinitis and/or asthma and points out the policy adjustments and lifestyle changes necessary to mitigate their deleterious effects.
Aiming to read more and more articles like this, we invite you to enhance the collaboration between Junior Members and different scientific societies. You can read this article here.
January 2020
Collaboration between Allergy and JMA: "Groundbreaking Discoveries in Immunology"
The JMA has been collaborating with the journal Allergy, especially since Dr. Cezmi Akdis became Editor-in-Chief. This partnership has yielded a new section for Allergy: "Groundbreaking Discoveries in Immunology”. The aim is to discuss novel concepts in immunology (published in top-tier journals) through original and creative pieces. One issue will be published every month including a graphical abstract created by Dr. Anna Globinska (Graphics Editor of Allergy).
The JMA will welcome other JMs to join this initiative, applying themselves as authors, recommending articles of interest or suggesting improvements. Dr. Rodrigo Jiménez-Saiz (JM Representative of the Immunology Section) is the author of the first issue, published last month, focusing on the alternative pathway (IgG-neutrophil-mediated) of drug-induced anaphylaxis in humans (here).
We hope that this section will be of interest to the Allergy audience, particularly for JMs, and we would like to invite all of you to stay tuned for the latest updates.
Image: JMA and Marek Jutel, EAACI President, at the 2019 EAACI Congress in Lisbon
Meet a New JM Representative
Dr. Mattia Giovannini was elected JM Representative of the Allergen Immunotherapy Interest Group (IG). He is a Pediatric Resident at Anna Meyer Children’s University Hospital in Florence (Italy). This is a third-level Italian reference institution for pediatric health care and scientific research. He has spent a part of his training at King’s College (UK) and at the Boston Children’s Hospital (USA).
Dr. Giovannini works in the Allergy Unit led by Dr. Novembre with Drs. Mori (Drug Allergy IG member), Barni (Food Allergy IG member), Liccioli and Mugnaini (Consultants) and Sarti and Biagioni (Pediatric Residents). The team provides specialized management to children with atopic eczema and respiratory, food, latex, drug or insect sting allergy. The Allergy Unit is also very committed to scientific research, with many ongoing projects, especially in the drug, food allergy and immunomodulation fields.
Image: Dr. Mattia Giovannini
Image: Dr. Novembre´s team
Image: Anna Meyer Children’s University Hospital
December 2019
EAACI Junior Members Representatives at ISMA 2019
The 8th edition of the International Symposium on Molecular Allergology (ISMA) took place last November in Amsterdam. The venue gathered international physicians and researchers from all over the world, whom contributed discussing the application of allergen molecules in the field of allergy diagnosis and immunotherapy.
EAACI JM Board Representatives attended ISMA and promoted the interaction between Junior Members. Indeed, Drs. Leticia de las Vecillas (Allergy Diagnosis & Systems Medicine IG JM Representative) and Mattia Giovannini (Allergen Immunotherapy IG JM Representative), organized the JM Social Event, which was very enjoyable. JMs at ISMA were proactive with poster and oral communications as well as having insightful discussions with participants.
Image: Poster session at ISMA
Image: Drs. Giovannini and De las Vecillas
Image: JM social event at ISMA
EAACI Food Allergy School Paris
The latest EAACI Food Allergy School took place in Paris last December. The event was attended by more than 100 participants from 38 countries; 39 abstracts were received, of which 7 were presented as oral communications. EAACI JMs had the opportunity to learn about the latest trends and novelties in food allergy.
The Food Allergy School included sessions on epidemiology and diagnosis of food allergy, pathophysiology of eosinophilic oesophagitis and non-IgE mediated food allergies, medical and dietary management of food allergies, and future therapeutic approaches for food allergy. Additionally, during interactive workshops different topics were discussed and clinical cases were presented, leading to interactive conversations and brainstorming.
Our EAACI JM Board Representatives, Drs. Beatriz Moya (Food Allergy Interest Group), Burcin Beken (Paediatrics Section), and Alessandra Arcolaci (Drug Allergy Interest Group) attended the school and had the opportunity, with other JMs, to collaborate and share ideas with experts from all over the world.
Image: Poster session at the Food Allergy School
Image: Clinical case discussion at the Food Allergy School
Image: Drs. Arcolaci, Moya and Beken (from left to right) at the Food Allergy School
01 November 2019
Kranoyarsk Science Centre (Krasnoyarsk, Russia)
Dr. Anna Barilo is a senior scientist in the Clinical Pathophysiology lab at the Krasnoyarsk Science Centre. This research centre belongs to the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science (Scientific Research Institute of Medical Problems of the North).
Her laboratory is equipped with several flow cytometers and microscopes that allow her team to perform a wide range of cytological techniques. Dr. Barilo´s research focus is on the clinical, immunological and genetic features of immune disorders such as psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. She is particularly interested in the identification of markers of disease progression in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
Image: Dr. Barilo at the Krasnoyarsk Science Centre.
JM representatives attended the ERS meeting in Madrid!
Recently, the annual meeting of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) took place in Madrid (Spain). It is the most attended European congress on respiratory tract diseases. Our JM representatives Dr. Alessandra Arcolaci (Drug Allergy interest group), Dr. Cristina Boccabella (Asthma section) and Dr. Ibón Eguíluz Gracia (past JMA chair) were there. They discussed with the ERS JM representatives, in a friendly and productive joint meeting, about how to improve the collaboration between the JMs of the ERS and EAACI... work in progress!
Image: JMs from EAACI and ERS
13 October 2019
Department of Paediatrics at the University Hospital of Ioannina, Greece
Dr. Maria Kostaras is a resident of paediatrics at the University Hospital of Ioannina. The head of her department is Dr. Sophia Tsabouri, who is also the chair of the Greek Paediatric Allergy Society. The outpatient and inpatient services provide treatment to allergic patients within a wide region of Northwest Greece. They perform a number of medical techniques including skin tests (skin prick tests and atopy patch tests), blood tests (CAP-RAST), spirometry, FeNo, oral food challenges, drug provocation tests and immunotherapy.
Dr. Kostaras is also a PhD student in the field of paediatric allergy, focusing on genetics and food allergy. Specifically, she investigates epigenetic factors that affect the development of food allergy. In addition, she has participated in annual national meetings of the Greek Paediatric Allergy Society for the last two years and has shared her research findings with other scientists and clinicians.
Image: Dr. Kostaras’ clinic
Image: Dr. Kostaras’ clinic
EAACI JM Collaboration with the Turkish Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Asthma (CAAAD)
The JM representatives Drs. Pasquale Comberiati (JMA secretary), Ibón Eguíluz-Gracia (Past JMA chairperson) and Burcin Beken (JM Pediatric section representative) recently attended the Symposium on Novel Insights in Allergy with Young Allergists, organized by CAAAD. The symposium took place in Bursa (Turkey), with a total of 307 participants. Drs. Nihat Sapan (chair) and Şükrü Çekiç (young chair) organized round table sessions in which young clinicians discussed therapeutic approaches for asthma, atopic dermatitis, anaphylaxis and food allergy.
The EAACI JMs participated in the Symposium: Drs. Alberto Álvarez-Perea and Stefania Arasi explained the process of oral tolerance in food allergy; Dr. Eguíluz-Gracia gave an overview of the “precision medicine” topic and its implication in severe asthma; Drs. Beken and Simona Barni focused on the clinical manifestation and severity predictors of anaphylaxis; and Dr. Comberiati covered the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of atopic dermatitis.
The Symposium was an excellent opportunity for educational development and scientific training for the attendees, whom gained insight into the most recent advances in the treatment and prevention of asthma and allergic diseases.
Image: The JM group
Image: The JM group
Image: The JM group
15 September 2019
Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic-IRCSS of Rome, Italy
Dr. Cristina Boccabella is the new JMA Asthma Section Representative. She works at the Asthma Centre that is part of the Pneumology Unit, directed by Dr. Richeldi, at the Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic in Rome (Italy). This Severe Asthma Excellence Centre supports training, research and translation of findings for severe asthma management. Here, Dr. Boccabella, together with her colleagues, strives to provide the best care to patients using the latest diagnostic tools and treatment strategies. Main activities comprise the diagnosis of severe asthma through respiratory function tests, impulse oscillometry, challenge tests, allergic and rhino-sinus comorbidities evaluation. A multidisciplinary team, composed also by allergists and ENT specialists, approaches all cases with “precision medicine”; this requires assessment of airway pathobiology using specific biomarkers, and the evaluation of a targeted therapy with the biologics. Moreover, an Emergency Outpatient Service guarantees care assistance dealing with emergencies related to asthma exacerbations and treatments’ side effects.
Dr. Boccabella has research experience in asthma. She has been at the Imperial College of London (UK) involved in MyAirCoach-Horizon-2020, a project focused on the use of telemedicine in uncontrolled asthmatics. She is an active member of the Asthma Centre Unit, coordinated by Dr. Bonini. The Asthma Centre Unit is one of the partners of the Severe Asthma Network Italy (SANI) project, the major observational study of severe asthmatics of Italy. She is involved in studies aiming to better define asthma endotypes, their pathobiological behaviour and molecular mechanisms. Other scientific interests include testing new targeted treatments, especially for “T2low severe asthma”, evaluating small airways involvement by body plethismography and the impact of comorbidities such as bronchiectasis and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.
Image: Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic
Image: Asthma Centre group
Image: Dr. Boccabella Cristina
Meet a New JM Representative
Today we talk to Dr. Beatriz Moya, the newly elected JM Representative of the Food Allergy Interest Group!
Dr. Moya studied medicine at San Pablo CEU University in Madrid (Spain). She is a 4th year resident specializing in allergy and asthma at the 12 de Octubre Hospital (Madrid), which is highly specialized and equipped with over 1,300-inpatient beds.
As part of her residency, Dr. Moya treats different allergies (food and drug allergies, skin allergies, rhinoconjunctivitis, etc.) as well as severe asthma at their excellence-certified, highly specialized Severe Asthma Unit. She performs drug allergy desensitizations either in the hospital’s walk-in clinic or in the intensive care unit. Also, the Allergy Unit receives daily consultations with a variety of patients referred from other specialties in the hospital.
Dr. Moya completed a rotation in the Children’s Allergy Unit at Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús (Madrid); in January 2020, she will be doing a severe asthma fellowship at St. Joseph’s Hospital-McMaster University in Hamilton (Canada).
Image: Part of the Allergy Unit team at 12 de Octubre Hospital
Image: Dr. Moya at 12 de Octubre Hospital
Image: Allergy Unit at 12 de Octubre Hospital
20 July 2019
Meet a New JM Representative
Today we get to know better Dr. Aspasia Karavelia, the new elected JM Representative of the ENT Section.
Dr. Karavelia is a senior ENT medical trainee. She studied medicine at the Medical School of Crete (Greece) and obtained a Master in “International medicine-health crisis management” from the Medical School of Athens (Greece). Also, she is finishing a second Master in “Rhinology, skull base and face area pathologies” in a joint program of the University of Patras (Greece) and the Medical School of Athens.
Dr. Karavelia currently works at the Chaina General Hospital “St George” in Crete (Greece). Here, she treats a wide spectrum of ENT pathologies. Furthermore, she provides special care at the Allergy and Endoscopy Clinic to patients with allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps; this requires procedures such as nasal rigid endoscopy, 4-phase rhinomanometry, skin prick tests, immunotherapy as well as surgical therapies.
In addition, Dr. Karavelia is a JM Representative of the European Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology (ESPO) and a Hellenic Red Cross volunteer.
Image: : Chaina General Hospital “St George”
Image: Dr. Karavelia (first on the left) with some team members
Image: Dr. Karavelia’s Allergy and Endoscopy Clinic
Time Travel!
Let’s travel in time, back to the year 2001!
Who was part of the JMA board chaired by Susanna Olsson from 2001-2003? What kind of professional endeavours were taken by this line-up of JMs since then?
Well, here are some facts that you may find interesting:
- Iona Agache, our past EAACI President, was the Webmaster, and Stefano del Giacco, our current EAACI VP Education & Specialty, was the Immunology Section Representative.
- A young postdoctoral fellow that later would shake the field of immunology with seminal discoveries was the Asthma Section Representative. Can you guess who? You may have read his recent publication on Charcot-Leyden crystals... And he is a full professor at Ghent University (Belgium), like Philippe Gevaert, the ENT Section Representative at the time.
- The Dermatology Section Representative, Ulrike Raap, kept her scientific interests and is currently the Head of the Experimental Allergology and Immunodermatology Division at Oldenburg University (Germany). Likewise, Katharina Blumchen, the Pediatric Section Representative, is now affiliated with the Dept. of Children and Adolescent Medicine at the University Hospital Frankfurt (Germany).
Given that the JMs represent the future of EAACI, it is certainly encouraging to see that many of the leaders in the field that we now look up to, were once, not that long ago, part of the JMA.