University of Washington Medicine Allergy, Virginia Mason Allergy, Seattle Children’s Hospital and other institutions in and around Seattle, Washington, are working together in a collaborative effort towards a network of researchers focused on food allergies.
The Seattle Food Allergy Consortium (SeaFAC) also includes the Benaroya Research Institute, Asthma Inc Clinic Research Center, and the Northwest Asthma and Allergy Center.
‘Food challenge’ clinic coming later this year
The SeaFAC organization will work to attract food allergy clinical trials and federal and private funding for food allergy research in the Seattle region. The organization is encouraging the public to become involved by registering to participate in food allergy studies when the SeaFAC “food challenge” clinic is established later this year.
Founders of the SeaFAC group say that because new, safer methods for food allergy testing are now available, conducting research has become less dangerous than it was two decades ago, when a patient died during a food allergy trial in the region.
The organization plans to begin public outreach in the coming months in the Seattle area.