• Home
• Contact WAO
• Sitemap

The Centre for Food and Allergy Research (CFAR) (Parkville, Australia)

The Centre for Food and Allergy Research (CFAR)

The Centre for Food and Allergy Research (CFAR) is an Australia-wide collaboration of researchers and clinicians working in paediatric food allergy research. CFAR was established in March 2013 as a Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) recognised and funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia, and the achievements of this successful collaborative centre were recognised with the award of a second highly competitive NHMRC CRE grant in 2017.

CFAR’s mission is to prevent future cases of food allergy, to cure existing food allergies, and to ensure that every child with food allergies can eat food safely.

Since 2013, CFAR has established an international reputation as a highly productive centre and provided a network for collaboration amongst paediatric food allergy researchers in Australia, enabling communication between researchers, clinicians and communities affected by food allergy. CFAR is led by a team of Chief and Associate Investigators comprised of Australia’s preeminent researchers in the field of paediatric food allergy, and membership is open to all researchers and clinicians working in paediatric food allergy research in Australia and New Zealand (currently 150+ members). Together, we work to identify important questions for new research, and to ensure that the latest research findings are translated into the best care for children with food allergies. CFAR works closely with consumer, medical and industry bodies on translating research into evidence-based practice and policy. We also foster the development of Australia's next generation of food allergy researchers, providing support and training to PhD students and postdoctoral researchers around the country.

CFAR is a virtual centre, representing a team of researchers and clinicians based at Australia’s leading paediatric medical and research institutions. CFAR’s administering institute is the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) in Melbourne. As a nationwide collaboration, CFAR not only has access to the world-class facilities at Australia’s leading medical and research institutes, but also the unique ability to work collaboratively across all of these institutions.

CFAR takes a truly multidisciplinary approach to food allergy research, and through our members and collaborations can draw on a diverse range of expertise. Our members include researchers with expertise in epidemiology, clinical immunology, health economics, biostatistics, public/population health and epigenetics, and clinicians spanning public and private practice, including Maternal and Child Health Nurses, General Practitioners, Paediatricians, Emergency Physicians, Allergy Nurses, Allergy Dietitians, Gastroenterologists, Immunologists and Allergists.

CFAR leads world-class research on the prevalence, prevention, management and treatment of food allergies. CFAR research represents an internationally recognised program of work, encompassing basic research into the immune and genetic mechanisms of food allergy, an internationally unique collection of population-based cohort studies and single and multi-site clinical trials on the prevention and treatment of food allergy.

The progress of research into food allergy, and the translation of research findings into population health guidelines and improved clinical care in Australia, has been accelerated through the establishment of CFAR as a multidisciplinary NHMRC-funded Centre of Research Excellence. CFAR is a major contributor to the global evidence base on food allergy research, and continues to represent the collective voice of Australian researchers in international collaborations for allergy research and advocacy.