Project Directory
Food Allergy Registry Dissemination Project
CFAAR is partnering with Food Allergy Research & Education to expand our current understanding of food allergy by analyzing patient-reported data from FARE'S National Patient Registry.
This project will explore patient reactions, comorbidities, family history of food allergy, outgrowing food allergy, and more!
Email l-bilaver@northwestern.edu for more details.
Building Informatics Tools for the Identification of Food Allergy Related Morbidity and Health Care Use using Electronic Health Records
This study aims to utilize a Natural Language Processing (NLP) to more accurately identify patients with food allergy through their electronic health record (EHR) data from a cohort of patients seen at general pediatric and allergy clinics.
Email l-bilaver@northwestern.edu for more details.
COBALT
This study aims to provide large-scale mental health support through a web-based platform accessible to NU and Lurie Children's providers, staff, their partners, and their children, as well as students in the Chicagoland area.
Email lisa.lombard@northwestern.edu for more details.
CPS/Northwestern Student Health Leaders Program
This program consists of workshops for CPS High school students focused on professional and personal development and improving health awareness and education in their communities. Students created PSAs and posters on health topics most important to them to share with their peers and schools.
Visit studenthealthleaders.weebly.com to learn more about the program or Watch a video about the program here.
Email madeleine.kanaley@northwestern.edu for more details.
FARE DATA Study
This study aims to create a Food Allergy “Data Commons” to make it possible for researchers worldwide to share data and collaborate on one platform. CFAAR is partnering with Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) on this project and this global collaboration can help answer critical questions around:
- The development and progression of food allergies
- Severity of symptoms
- Mechanisms that promote tolerance, including treatments and prevention
Email Kathy.boon@northwestern.edu for more details.
Food Allergy Outcomes Related to White and African American Racial Differences (FORWARD)
Recipient of NIH R01 Grant Award
This study aims to develop a prospective longitudinal cohort to systematically investigate differences among Black, White, and Latinx children with food allergy.
We are enrolling and following these cohorts to determine differences in food allergy clinical and psychosocial outcomes, the ways and mechanisms through which their allergies manifest themselves, and their management practices.
Email pamela.newmark@northwestern.edu for more details.
Food Allergy Peer-to-Peer Educational Videos
CFAAR created three peer-to-peer food allergy educational videos for elementary, middle, and high school students using input from children, adolescents, and parents. The videos were then produced and evaluated to determine their effectiveness in changing student food allergy knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes. The videos are available for free in a USB format and have been distributed nationwide.
All videos and associated resources are available in our "Video Library” and you can read the manuscript about our findings on the “publications page!”
Email cfaar.northwestern.edu for more details.
Food Equality Initiative Study
The goal of this study is to increase access to medically necessary foods for food-insecure people with food allergies and other food-related conditions. We hope to show that FEI's model of providing food is effective in increasing self-efficacy for food security.
Email l-bilaver@northwestern.edu for more details.
HEROS
HEROS is an NIH-funded study to determine the rate of novel coronavirus infection in children and their family members in the United States. The study, called Human Epidemiology and Response to SARS-CoV-2 (HEROS), also will help determine what percentage of children infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, develop symptoms of the disease. In addition, the HEROS study will examine whether rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection differ between children who have asthma or other allergic conditions and children who do not.
Email pamela.newmark@northwestern.edu for more details.
Improving Food Allergy Preparedness on College Campuses
The goal of this study is to better understand the needs of college students with food allergy and to identify areas for improvement.
Based on the results of the survey, we will develop a food allergy educational video for college students that can be utilized during orientation for first-year college students. The hope is to have a short, informative, and relatable video that is easy to incorporate in colleges nationwide to spread awareness and help prompt the conversation among students.
Email madeleine.kanaley@northwestern.edu for more details.
Improving Technology Assisted Recording of Asthma Control in Children (ITRACC)
The goal of this randomized clinical control trial is to determine whether a sensor-enabled, clinically-integrated, mobile health asthma program can improve overall asthma control and management among children with moderate-to-severe asthma. Participants received comprehensive asthma education, optional environmental allergen testing, and quarterly surveys to complete. The intervention group uses a sensor placed on their asthma inhalers to track medication usage.
To learn more about this clinical trial and patients' experience with the technology, click here!
Email Kathy.boon@northwestern.edu for more details.
Intervention to Reduce Early Peanut Allergy in Children (IREACH)
A Clinical Decision Support Tool for the Prevention of Peanut Allergy
Recipient of NIH U01 Grant Award
Through the iREACH study, we will partner with 35 clinics in Illinois to implement a clinical decision support tool in clinicians electronic health records to assist them in determining best practices surrounding early peanut introduction.
Overall, the iREACH study aims to:
- Improve clinician adherence to early introduction of peanut guidelines
- Decrease the incidence of peanut allergy in children
Meeting the Psychosocial Needs of Children and Families with Life-Threatening Food Allergies
The goal of this study is to interview pediatric allergists and parents of food-allergic children from the Chicago area to assess the mental health needs of and appropriate interventions for children and families affected by food allergies.
Email lisa.lombard@northwestern.edu for more details.
Study on Caregiver Behaviors around Food Introduction Among US Infants
5000 caregivers. The survey will assess caregiver behaviors around food introduction and
skin care and the development of atopic conditions including eczema and allergies.
Email waheeda.samady@northwestern.edu for more details.
Quality of life Assessment Among Food Allergy Immunotherapy Participants
The purpose of the study is to seek information from food allergy patients regarding the quality of life domains most relevant to food allergen immunotherapy (IT). Eventually, these data will be used to develop a patient-centered survey instrument assessing quality of life among IT patients and other key stakeholders.
Email christopher.warren@northwestern.edu for more details.
Prevalence, Severity and Distribution of Food Allergy in the United States
This study aimed to estimate the national prevalence of food allergy among a representative sample of over 40,000 US households. Additionally, the survey inquired information on food allergic reaction symptomology, severity, and management.
In November 2018, we published data on food allergy among the pediatric population in Pediatrics, and in January 2019, we published data on adult food allergy in JAMA Network Open.
Email jialing.jiang@northwestern.edu for more details.
Student Media-Based Health Research Team (SMHRT)
SMHRT is a comprehensive curriculum that can be shared with educators, public health practitioners, and community members to be utilized in schools to help empower students to research and understand health conditions that affect their communities. The curriculum gives teachers and students tools to create community-level change through building interventions. The SMHRT curriculum is free in USB format for any school who wishes to utilize it and have been distributed nationwide.
- Students of any age may participate,
- Any chronic health condition may be studied
- Interventions may include PSAs, posters, fact sheets, and musical performances.
The Development and Evaluation of Educational Food Allergy Videos in Early Childhood
The goal of this study is to develop and evaluate three early childhood food allergy educational videos to educate young children, parents/caregivers, and EC educators/professionals on food allergy.
These videos can be found on our Video Library page!
Email sarah.valaika@northwestern.edu for more details.
The Food Allergy Management in Low Income Youth Study (The FAMILY Study)
This study aims to better understand the barriers to food allergy management among low-income families living with food allergies. After interviewing a number of families living with FA about their experiences, we created a clear and helpful “Food Allergy Passport” to aid in the management of food allergy based on their noted barriers, (ex. keeping track of medications, preparing for the doctor, how to read labels, coping strategies, travel tips, etc.)
The FAMILY passport and workbook are available on the "Community Resources" page!
Email justin.zaslavsky@northwestern.edu for more details.
Training the Next Generation through CFAAR’s Summer Student Programs
Each year, we invite high school, undergraduate, and graduate students to join us for a summer of public health research! Students learn the basics of research, attend weekly didactic sessions on relevant topics, and assist the CFAAR research team with all of their ongoing studies.
Visit the "Education" page for more details.
If you are interested in interning with CFAAR email kailin.potter@northwestern.edu for more details!
Understanding Diagnosis and Management of Childhood Food Allergy Among Medicaid Enrolled Children
The goal of this study is to analyze the patterns of diagnosis and treatment among children with food allergy insured through the Medicaid program. With this data we will be able to analyze one year of Medicaid claims to describe the prevalence of food allergy and indicators of quality care adherent to clinical guidelines. We also will analyze the county-level hot spot maps to advance our understanding of the geographic disparities in care.
Email l-bilaver@northwestern.edu for more details.
Understanding Precautionary Allergen Labeling Preferences among Food Allergy Stakeholders
The goal of this study is to better understand how to communicate the risk of potential presence of allergens in products that could have cross-contact from shared manufacturing equipment. By surveying consumers affected by food allergy, we hope to gain information about Precautionary Allergen Labeling (PAL) preferences that will help to inform future FDA labeling policies.
Email madeleine.kanaley@northwestern.edu for more details.