Population Allergy

Changing the course of allergic disease. To give every child the opportunity to go to school safely and inform the best care for people living with allergies.

Australia has the highest rates of childhood food allergy globally, with one child in every classroom impacted. Our research shows 10 per cent of 12-month-olds and five per cent of 10- to 14-year-olds have a food allergy.

Drug, insect and respiratory allergic disease rates are also troubling; one in four Australians report having a medication allergy; one in five have allergic rhinitis and 12 people die of bee and wasp sting every year.

The exact cause of Australia’s rise in allergies is unknown. However, our researchers have identified several risk factors for food allergy, including infant diet and eczema.

Since 2007, we’ve recruited over 21,300 participants across 15 projects which investigate 12 different allergies to help learn more and provide relief and hope to families living with food allergies.

Our vision

Our vision is to change the trajectory of allergic disease. To give every child the opportunity to go to school safely and inform the best care for people living with allergies.

Our mission

Our mission is to transform the lives of people living with allergies by hosting world-leading clinical trials, cohort and registry studies, and national research collaborations that make vital discoveries.

Our key impact areas

Diagnostics, prevention, treatment and management strategies
Shaping policies and strategies to improve evidence-based care in Australia
Revolutionising how allergy research is translated and integrated into clinical practice
Training the next generation of allergy researchers

Population Allergy Group resized

Image: Murdoch Children's Research Institute's Population Allergy Group

The Allergy Friendly Family Cookbook

World-leading allergy researchers and paediatric specialists Professors Kirsten Perrett and Mimi Tang and Dr Vicki McWilliam have co-authored a cookbook featuring more than 100 allergy-friendly recipes and evidence-based advice for families.

The Allergy Friendly Family Cookbook resized

Get your copy on Amazon

Population Allergy videos

Five food allergy facts with Professor Kirsten Perrett

Asthma and Allergy with Rachel Peters

Food allergy research with Dr Melanie Neeland

NACE Symposium (16 May 2024)

Australia has a food allergy crisis affecting 10 per cent of infants - ABC News

National research collaborations hosted by Population Allergy

NACE logo

National Allergy Centre of Excellence – Australia’s peak allergy research body funded by the Australian Government to build the tools and resources needed to accelerate allergy research. Drug, food, insect and respiratory allergy experts have joined the NACE to help improve the lives of five million Australians living with allergic disease.

CFAR logo

Centre for Food Allergy Research (CFAR)– An Australia-wide collaboration of food allergy experts, funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) since 2013. CFAR’s work aims to prevent, treat and manage food allergies, promote the rapid translation of outcomes into clinical practice, and expand the research workforce through training and mentorship.