Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) Dr Craig McKenzie has been awarded the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Allergy Research Award for his work on helping to prevent, promote and predict the development of peanut allergy.

MCRI Population Allergy Group Senior Research Officer Dr McKenzie was awarded $69,700 ($50,000 USD) to support his investigations into the mechanisms behind childhood immune responses driving food allergies.

By doing so, he hopes to unravel how allergies develop in early life and help discover what can be done to prevent the development of the disease.

“I feel privileged to be recognised by this international award and I am incredibly excited by the work it will allow us to achieve,” Dr McKenzie said. “It is an opportunity to conduct state-of-the-art research that could help generate impactful discoveries for children and families in Australia, and around world.”

MCRI-led research showed one in 10 Australian children are diagnosed with food allergy before their first birthday, the highest rate globally. While an estimated two million Australians live with allergic disease.

As this year’s Food Allergy Week (25 – 31 May) focuses on anaphylaxis – a life threatening allergic reaction - and knowing what to do in an emergency, Dr McKenzie said, “More than 11,500 people present to emergency departments every year with anaphylaxis, so we desperately need to understand what causes allergies and why they develop in some children, but not others.

“Ultimately, I hope our research will help us to better understand food allergies in children, with the goal of developing better ways of preventing or treating it.”

Dr McKenzie helps lead the National Allergy Centre of Excellence Food Allergy Biobank – an initiative launched earlier this year to collect and securely store samples and allergy information from children who visit The Royal Children’s Hospital Allergy Clinic to help accelerate future research.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Allergy Research Award recognises and supports the work of early career international scientific researchers, who have made remarkable progress and advancements in the field of allergy research. 

Since its inception in 1987, the award has recognised the work of more than 50 of today's foremost allergy researchers from around the globe, acknowledging their groundbreaking contributions to the field.

Read more about Dr McKenzie’s work, and MCRI’s Population Allergy Group.