October 30, 2024 – ATLANTA – The National Peanut Board (NPB) has awarded $400,000 in grants to nine organizations to advance food allergy research and drive toward the eradication of peanut allergy. While NPB is a longtime supporter of food allergy research, these grants mark the completion of the Board’s first formalized, competitive process for food allergy research funding.
The award recipients and projects are:
- Boston Children’s Hospital to support “Evaluating the Impact of School Peanut Allergy Policies by Sociodemographic Characteristics”
- Center for Food Allergy & Asthma Research, Northwestern University to support “Exploration and Preparation for Implementing Food Allergy Prevention within the WIC Program’s Infant Nutrition Education and Breastfeeding Counseling”
- Code Ana to support “LEARN Early NOLA”
- Deventer Hospital to support “Long-term tolerance of early oral immunotherapy for food allergy - A follow-up study to measure allergy remission in young children post oral immunotherapy”
- FOODiversity to support “Early Introduction Parent Program”
- Kings College London to support “IgG4 Responses to Peanut Consumption: Modulatory Factors and Insights from the LEAP and EAT Cohorts”
- McGill University Health Centre Research Institute to support “SPORT: Safety of Peanut OIT in a Randomized Trial”
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute to support “Has Changing Infant Feeding Practices Prevented Childhood Peanut Allergy: the Population-based, Longitudinal, EarlyNuts Study”
- The University of Chicago to support “5-Methylcytosine Profiles in Circulating Cell-Free DNA in Peanut Allergy”
NPB President & CEO Ryan Lepicier said, “I am extremely proud of the team for undertaking and executing this program for the first time this year. Through this process, we have broadened our understanding of the research landscape, established connections with new organizations and researchers, increased transparency and are supporting the next wave of impactful food allergy research.”
NPB Chairman and Arkansas peanut grower Greg Baltz served on the Grant Review Panel and said, “The work put into this process has been tremendous and is well appreciated by the Board. The founding Board’s commitment to being part of the solution for peanut allergies inspires us to continue supporting this important work that will make a difference in the lives of families.”
The University of Chicago project receives the additional honor of the Dee Dee Darden Award, recognizing the passionate spirit of one of NPB’s early chairmen. With bold determination, Virginia peanut farmer Darden sought out groundbreaking allergy research for the Board to fund, including the early work of Dr. Gideon Lack, which led to today’s early introduction guidelines for peanut allergy prevention. The University of Chicago’s “5-Methylcytosine Profiles in Circulating Cell-Free DNA in Peanut Allergy” project seeks to improve the accuracy of and access to food allergy diagnosis. Review panelists called the proposal a new and novel approach with the potential to be the “next LEAP study” for the impact on the field.
The review panel included:
- Deborah Albright, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
- Theresa Auld Bingemann, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine in the Divisions of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology and Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, University of Rochester
- Greg Baltz, Chairman, National Peanut Board
- Stacy Dorris, MD, Pediatric Allergist, Vanderbilt Children's Hospital
- Mark Dvorak, Executive Vice President, Golin
- Eleanor Garrow-Holding, President and CEO, Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT)
- Markita Lewis, RDN, Marketing and Communications Manager, National Peanut Board
- Nicholas W. Lukacs, Ph.D., Godfrey D. Stobbe Professor of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School
- Soheila Maleki, Ph.D., Distinguished Senior Scientist, USDA-ARS
- Lauren Highfill Williams, Director of Communications, National Peanut Board
The RFP process was managed by consultant Jen Jobrack of Food Allergy Pros.
Since 2001, NPB has invested more than $36 million in food allergy outreach, education and research. NPB’s investment has contributed to landmark discoveries in peanut allergy prevention; the first FDA approvals of peanut allergy treatments; and best practices for allergy management in schools, foodservice and manufacturing. For more of the history of NPB’s support of food allergy solutions, check out Finding a Solution to Peanut Allergies: A 20-Year Journey of Courage, Innovation and Luck.
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About the National Peanut Board
The National Peanut Board represents USA peanut farmers and their families. Through research and marketing initiatives the Board is finding new ways to enhance production and increase consumer demand by promoting the great taste, nutrition and culinary versatility of USA-grown peanuts. For more information about the Board, visit www.nationalpeanutboard.org.