European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Name	European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Formed	1956
Headquarters	Zürich, Switzerland
Members	~10,000 (physicians, scientists)

Contents

European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology is a professional association for clinicians and researchers in immunology, allergy and related clinical specialties, headquartered in Zürich. It serves as a European hub connecting specialists from institutions such as Karolinska Institutet, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, and University of Amsterdam and collaborates with bodies including the World Health Organization, European Commission, European Medicines Agency, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, and World Allergy Organization.

History

The organization was founded in 1956 amid postwar scientific reorganization involving figures associated with Max Planck Society, Pasteur Institute, University of Paris, University of Vienna, and University of Rome La Sapienza. Early leadership included clinicians and researchers linked to Karolinska Institutet, University of Copenhagen, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, and University of Barcelona, and the Academy established formal ties with World Health Organization initiatives and with the Council of Europe. During the late 20th century it expanded through collaborations with societies like British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Allergologie und Klinische Immunologie, Société Française d'Allergologie, and regional groups in the Balkans and Baltic states.

The Academy’s mission emphasizes evidence-based care and research translation, coordinating activities among specialists from University of Turin, University of Milan, Heidelberg University Hospital, Ghent University Hospital, and Riga Stradiņš University. Objectives include guideline development with partners such as European Respiratory Society, policy advising to European Commission, standard-setting aligned with European Medicines Agency, and fostering networks that include participants from Sahlgrenska Academy, Trinity College Dublin, University of Helsinki, and University of Leuven.

Governance comprises an Executive Committee, Scientific Committee, and National Allergy Societies Committee, with representation from member hospitals like St Thomas' Hospital, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Vienna General Hospital, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto (as international collaborator), and universities such as University of Glasgow and KU Leuven. Officers have included clinicians linked to University College London, University of Zurich, University of Oslo, and University of Strasbourg, and governance practices reflect norms seen in organizations like European Society of Cardiology and European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Programs range from multicenter research networks involving European Molecular Biology Laboratory, registries coordinated with European Medicines Agency, and advocacy with European Parliament committees and patient groups such as European Lung Foundation and Allergy UK. Clinical initiatives have included collaborations with specialty centers at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Aarhus University Hospital, Sjögren's syndrome study groups, and translational projects with Max Planck Institute for Allergy Research. The Academy runs task forces on topics addressed by teams at Johns Hopkins University, Mayo Clinic, Mount Sinai Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, and university departments at University of Edinburgh and McMaster University.

The Academy publishes peer-reviewed guidance through its official journal, produced alongside editorial board members from The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine contributors, and investigators at Harvard Medical School, Stanford University School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Clinical guidelines have been developed in collaboration with organizations like European Respiratory Society, Allergy UK, German Allergy and Asthma Association, and registries from European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control-linked projects. Position papers and consensus documents involve contributors from University of Mainz, Sapienza University of Rome, University of Lyon, and KU Leuven.

Educational activities include postgraduate courses, fellowship exchanges with centers such as Karolinska Institutet, Imperial College London, University of Cambridge, and summer schools patterned after programs at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Wellcome Sanger Institute. The Academy supports trainee networks that connect residents and fellows from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hospital Universitario La Paz, University of Zurich, and Tel Aviv University Medical School. Collaborative training initiatives have been run with pharmaceutical and research partners associated with European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations and academic centers including University of Glasgow and Trinity College Dublin.

Annual congresses attract delegates from institutions like University of Barcelona Clinic, University of Milan Policlinico, Karolinska University Hospital, Hôpital Necker–Enfants Malades, and Royal Brompton Hospital, and feature keynote speakers affiliated with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Stanford University, Harvard Medical School, and Imperial College London. The Academy confers awards recognizing research excellence tied to investigators at Max Planck Institute, CNRS, INSERM, Wellcome Trust-funded groups, and clinicians from University of Oslo and University of Vienna. It organizes symposia, workshops, and satellite meetings collaborating with national societies like Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology and Italian Society of Allergology, Asthma and Clinical Immunology.

Category:Medical associations based in Switzerland