EAACI Research and Outreach Committee: Improving standards and facilitating global collaboration through a Research Excellence Network
Authors: Mohamed H. Shamji, Cezmi A. Akdis, Domingo Barber, Walter Canonica, Tomás Chivato, Stefano del Giacco, Karin Hoffman‐Sommergruber, Marek Jutel, Edward Knol, Markus Ollert, Liam O'Mahony, Oscar Palomares, Joaquin Sastre, Jürgen Schwarze, Sylwia Smolinska, Stefan Vieths, Ioana Agache
Journal: Allergy (2020)

The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) is the leading organization in the field of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology with nearly 12 000 members from 124 countries and works with over 70 National Allergy Societies. It is the primary source of expertise in Europe and worldwide for all aspects of allergic diseases and asthma. Recent efforts by EAACI resulted in a successful Strategic Forum on Allergic Diseases,1 with key opinion leaders acknowledging the impact of translational research in cultivating multidirectional and multidisciplinary integration of basic research as well as patient-oriented, population-based studies, with the long-term objective of improving the management of allergic diseases and asthma. Moreover, at the Strategic Forum on Allergic Diseases, it was acknowledged that there issignificant room for improvement in available experimental models to elucidate the mechanisms of allergic diseases and asthma. Improved models would greatly aid drug development and better prevention interventions. However, the clinical relevance of these models is often unclear. The use of animals in biomedical research is controversial from an ethical perspective. Thus, there is a need to increase the availability of human samples and data, to include forward genetics information which allow identification of disease phenotype, on primary atopic disorders derived from the increasing use of clinical exome and genome sequencing, harmonizing experimental protocols and generating high-quality data.2, 3 During this exercise, it was evident that implementation science was selected as a vital tool for identifying all significant contributions to health care, from individual factors up to policy and public health interventions.4 Several effective strategies to implement evidence-based practices such as planning, education, financing, restructuring, quality management and attention to policy context were highlighted. This approach can support the adaptation of precision medicine approaches in a wide range of healthcare systems facilitating patients access to new drugs or other interventions based on precise endotyping that poses at present significant problems on the sustainability of the healthcare system.5 Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology Research has many challenges, including complex European regulations, limited funding opportunities, data gathering and overall quality control.6 To address these unmet needs, the newly formed EAACI Research and Outreach Committee (EAACI ROC), endorsed by the EAACI Executive Committee, will develop an innovative research and knowledge exchange network, which will ensure the position of the EAACI as the global leader in promoting and supporting Research and Development. The aims of the EAACI ROC are outlined in Figure 1. Firstly, the EAACI ROC will support Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology Research through the coordination and support of the research community. A platform for in-depth knowledge exchange between basic scientists will provide a continuously updated database of the available experimental models with specific benefits, limitations, costs and availability. It will facilitate research recommendations on allergic disease models with alignment between research centres on standard operating procedures and data quality.7 Secondly, it will support high-quality and reproducible data by leveraging resources into a joint information exchange network while boosting top-notch experimental research through multicentre collaborations and strengthening the validity of the experimental medicine results. This approach will lead to more efficient use of resources and a more significant reduction in the numbers of animals employed, thereby enhancing the ethical standards and translational capacity of experimental research. Furthermore, the EAACI ROC will deliver new forms of translation of key research findings, to better meet the needs of clinicians and more quickly develop precision approaches that will facilitate the development of EAACI Guidelines to improve and cure allergic disease and asthma.8, 9 The knowledge exchange platform will facilitate basic and clinical research career development by expanding the funding opportunities for EAACI fellowships, develop educational and training programmes on cutting edge research methodologies, facilitate access of EAACI members to research funding opportunities and inform public policy on research priorities in allergic diseases and asthma via public engagement and outreach activities. Finally, the EAACI ROC aims to build an infrastructure that will monitor, analyse and interpret science and research data to identify trends, barriers and opportunities, and strategic imperatives, forecast needs and directions. In addition, this infrastructure will identify, collect, analyse and disseminate data related to academic allergy and clinical immunology (funding, pipeline) and provide periodic public policy recommendations on behalf of EAACI. Dr Vieths reports personal fees from Ärzteverband Deutscher Allergologen, personal fees from Swiss Society for Allergy and Immunology, personal fees from Schattauer Allergologie Handbuch, personal fees from Elsevier Nahrungsmittelallergien und Intoleranzen, personal fees from Karger Food Allergy: Molecular Basis and Clinical Practice, nonfinancial support from German Research Foundation, nonfinancial support from European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Health Care, nonfinancial support from European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, nonfinancial support from German Chemical Society (GDCh), nonfinancial support from AKM Allergiekongress, nonfinancial support from International Union of Immunological Societies, personal fees from Pharmacon, nonfinancial support from Spanish Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (SEAIC), outside the submitted work; Dr Jutel reports personal fees from ALK-Abello, personal fees from Allergopharma, personal fees from Stallergenes, personal fees from Anergis, personal fees from Allergy Therapeutics, personal fees from Circassia, personal fees from Leti, personal fees from Biomay, personal fees from HAL, during the conduct of the study; personal fees from Astra-Zeneka, personal fees from GSK, personal fees from Novartis, personal fees from Teva, personal fees from Vectura, personal fees from UCB, personal fees from Takeda, personal fees from Roche, personal fees from Janssen, personal fees from Medimmune, personal fees from Chiesi, outside the submitted work; Dr Del Giacco has nothing to disclose. Dr Hoffmann-Sommergruber reports grants from Austrian Science Funds (FWF), grants from EU-Horion 7, other from EAACI, personal fees from HESI, outside the submitted work; Dr Knol has nothing to disclose. Dr Smolinska has nothing to disclose. Dr Palomares has received research grants from Inmunotek SL, and Novartis Oscar Palomares has received fees for giving scientific lectures from: Allergy Therapeutics, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Diater, GlaxoSmithKline S.A, Inmunotek S.L, Novartis, Sanofi-Genzyme and Stallergenes Oscar Palomares has participated in advisory boards from Novartis and Sanofi-Genezyme. Dr Ollert reports personal fees from Hycor Diagnostics, personal fees from Thermo Fisher Scientific, outside the submitted work; Dr O'Mahony reports personal fees from Alimentary Health, grants from GSK, outside the submitted work. Dr BARBER reports personal fees from ALK, personal fees from AIMMUNE, outside the submitted work; Dr CANONICA has nothing to disclose. Dr Schwarze has nothing to disclose. Dr Agache reports and Associate Editor Allergy journal. Dr SASTRE reports grants and personal fees from SANOFI, personal fees from GSK, personal fees from FAES FARMA, personal fees from LETI, personal fees from MUNDIPHARMA, personal fees from NOVARTIS, grants from ALK, outside the submitted work;. Dr Chivato has nothing to disclose. Dr Akdis reports grants from Allergopharma, Idorsia, Swiss National Science Foundation, Christine Kühne-Center for Allergy Research and Education, European Commission's Horison's 2020 Framework Programme, Cure, Novartis Research Institutes, Astra Zeneca, Scibase, advisory role in Sanofi/Regeneron, outside the submitted work. Dr Jutel reports personal fees from ALK-Abello, personal fees from Allergopharma, personal fees from Stallergenes, personal fees from Anergis, personal fees from Allergy Therapeutics, personal fees from Circassia, personal fees from Leti, personal fees from Biomay, personal fees from HAL, during the conduct of the study; personal fees from Astra-Zeneka, personal fees from GSK, personal fees from Novartis, personal fees from Teva, personal fees from Vectura, personal fees from UCB, personal fees from Takeda, personal fees from Roche, personal fees from Janssen, personal fees from Medimmune, personal fees from Chiesi, outside the submitted work.