FARE Announces Organizational Growth with New Strategic Research Hires and Clinical Network Structure

Changes will foster research and innovation in the organization’s next chapter

McLean, Va. (Aug. 7, 2019) – Today, FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), the world’s largest private funder of food allergy research, is pleased to announce growth in its senior team and a transformation of the FARE Clinical Network - a coalition of top institutions working together to ensure patients with food allergies have access to state-of-the-art diagnosis, care, research and clinical trials.

The FARE Clinical Network (FCN) is building its capacity to better aid patients and the broader food allergy community. The new FCN builds on the successes of the original clinical network while incorporating new elements that will allow FARE to remain on the cutting edge of data, research and science. The new structure will include Discovery Centers, which will focus on clinical and translational research; Clinical Centers, dedicated to conducting the world’s best food allergy trials; and Care Centers, where patients will receive tertiary care and community education and training will take place. Dr. Thomas B. Casale, MD — FARE’s Chief Medical Advisor for Operations and a Professor of Medicine at University of South Florida Health — will lead the new clinical network with the support of Dr. Robert (Rob) Lemanske, MD and Roberta Slivensky, who recently joined FARE’s Chief Medical Advisory Group as project advisors. 

The revitalized FCN will also emphasize the importance of data in diagnosing and treating food allergies, harnessing an existing 7,500-patient-strong registry to launch a world-class patient data platform. This resource will fuel new clinical research and create uniform standards for data collection. All of these changes are critical to today’s inflection point in food allergy research and treatment. There is true hope for life-changing therapies but breakthroughs will require investments in new ways of thinking about diagnosis, prevention and treatment models.  

“This period of growth and strategic change will help FARE better serve the food allergy community for years to come,” said FARE CEO Lisa Gable. “Together, they are a demonstration of our commitment to innovation in food allergy research, education and advocacy on behalf of the 32 million Americans living with the disease today.”

Bart Snell joins FARE as its new Chief of Finance and Operations with more than three decades of experience as a senior executive leading companies across multiple industries through complex periods of financial and operational growth. Snell will support FARE’s financial management and reporting while helping the organization develop a long-term strategic growth plan. 

“Having this opportunity to contribute to FARE’s growth in the next chapter of its evolution is incredibly exciting,” Bart noted. “With such a strong reputation in the community and a growing team committed to innovation and finding a cure for food allergy, there is much we will be able to accomplish in the coming years,” he added. 

FARE also welcomes Rami Scharf, D.Sc. as senior director of research programs and Anita Roach, M.S., as senior director of voice of the patient. Scharf previously served as the director of project and portfolio management for PATH’s Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access, where he led a team dedicated to managing early and late stage vaccine products for low and medium income countries. He will draw on his scientific project management experience to support research through the FARE Clinical Network and will also play a key role in FARE’s work with medical centers and biopharmaceutical firms to advance and secure FDA approval for new food allergy therapies. Roach brings significant experience in research program management, most recently with the National Sleep Foundation and the Lupus Foundation of America. In her new role, she will oversee the FARE Patient Registry, which was established to provide a scientific data platform for advancing food allergy research. With Roach’s help, FARE will continue to enhance and expand the Patient Registry to ensure the organization remains the most trusted voice of patients with food allergies.