FARE Expands Partnership with Northwestern University, Announces Data Commons

FARE Data Commons to connect food allergy stakeholders and researchers around the globe

McLEAN, Va. (Feb. 25, 2020) —FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), the world’s leading food allergy research, advocacy and education organization, today announced a data commons partnership with Northwestern University, home to the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research (CFAAR), which seeks to reduce the burden of disease and improve health equity by developing, evaluating and disseminating asthma and allergy interventions, as well as by conducting work to inform local, state, national and international health policy.

Due to constant innovation in the field of health and biomedical informatics, it is now possible for researchers across the globe to share data and collaborate on secure and efficient platforms. These platforms, known as data commons, are collections of standardized data available in a common interface for download and/or analysis.

“There has been a 377 percent increase in food allergies since 2007.  In order to advance food allergy research and push innovation around new therapies forward, privacy-protected access to standardized patient data is absolutely critical,” said Lisa Gable, chief executive officer of FARE. “We are so pleased to expand the scope of our partnership with Northwestern University and look forward to strengthening our research and awareness efforts together.”

Diagnoses of severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) to food rose by 377 percent in the U.S. between 2007 and 2016 and currently more than 32 million Americans are estimated to be living with food allergies. FARE is focused on bringing attention to this issue and collaborating to advance food allergy research. With the support of the food allergy community and its allies, and partners in the research community like Northwestern University, FARE’s goal is to accelerate the development of new therapies and, ultimately, find a cure.

“Allowing stakeholders all over the globe to input and access data that can help answer critical questions around the development and progression of food allergies, the severity of symptoms, and the mechanisms that promote tolerance is a game-changing development in food allergy research,” said Ruchi Gupta, MD MPH the Director for CFAAR at Northwestern University and Lurie Children’s Hospital.

“This opportunity to partner with FARE arrives at a critical juncture in the progress of food allergy knowledge,” said Nicholas Soulakis, PhD, Director of Data Science Services at the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS). “While Northwestern brings a wealth of informatics and data science expertise, the robust network of allergists and researchers coalesced by FARE gives us unparalleled domain expertise upon which to draw to build a data commons which will not only enrich our understanding of food allergies, but may ultimately lead to broad public health impacts for the food allergy community.”

Learn more about FARE’s expansive research portfolio at www.foodallergy.org/research.

About Northwestern University

Northwestern University is a comprehensive research university, established in 1851, that is deeply interdisciplinary across multiple schools and units. Our rigorous yet empathetic academic environment provides a robust mixture of theory and practice, with an emphasis on top-tier research, new knowledge, creative expression, and practical application. If you are at Northwestern, you are part of an innovative, collaborative and multidimensional community, delivering an impact that is rare in higher education.