Phil Sharp Joins FARE as Special Advisor
November 15, 2023 (McLean, VA) – FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), the nation’s leading non-profit organization engaged in food allergy advocacy, and the largest private funder of food allergy research, is proud to announce that Nobel laureate and Biogen co-founder Phillip Sharp is joining FARE as a Special Advisor to CEO Sung Poblete. Dr. Sharp will facilitate FARE’s engagement with biotech and pharmaceutical companies to drive innovation and will counsel FARE-funded investigators to support and advance research goals.
“We are thrilled to welcome Phil Sharp as a special advisor to FARE,” says Dr. Poblete. “His wealth of experience and commitment to advancing our mission will undoubtedly strengthen our efforts in raising awareness, supporting those affected by food allergies, and driving critical research forward. Together, we look forward to making lasting strides in the field and improving the lives of individuals with food allergies.”
Phillip A. Sharp, PhD, is an Institute Professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and member of the Department of Biology and the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. His landmark work in 1977 provided the first indications of “discontinuous genes” in mammalian cells. The discovery fundamentally changed scientists’ understanding of gene structure and earned Dr. Sharp the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Dr. Sharp is a co-founder of Biogen (1978) and served as a member of the Board of Directors (1982-2009) and as Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board. He is also a co-founder of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. (2002) and continues to serve as a member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the Royal Society, UK. Among his many awards are the Gairdner Foundation International Award, the Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, and the National Medal of Science.
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About FARE
FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) is the leading nonprofit organization that empowers the food allergy patient across the journey of managing their disease. FARE delivers innovation by focusing on three strategic pillars—advocacy, research, and education—united by the through line of health equity. FARE’s initiatives accelerate the future of food allergy through effective policies and legislation, novel strategies toward prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, and building awareness and community. For more information, visit FoodAllergy.org.