photo of

Details

Role Team Leader / Principal Research Fellow
Research area Population Health
A/Prof Rachel Peters is head of the epidemiology stream of the Population Allergy research group at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute. She leads a research program using large, longitudinal, population-based studies to understand the causes and consequences of childhood food allergy.

A/Prof Peters is the principal investigator of the longitudinal HealthNuts study of food allergy, which has followed a cohort of over 5000 children since infancy. HealthNuts is entering its 5th wave as participants turn 15 years of age, which aims to describe the natural history of food allergy and understand the adverse consequence of food allergy on children’s future health. She also leads the first follow-up of the EarlyNuts study, which aims to understand the impact of changing infant feeding guidelines for food allergy prevention, on the prevalence of food allergy and other health outcomes. A/Prof Peters is custodian of the SchoolNuts study which examined food allergy and other allergic diseases in 10-14 students. Together these cohorts total over 17,000 participants. Collectively, her research program aims to identify risk factors and biomarkers of food allergy persistence and resolution, understand why adolescents are at high risk of recurrent and severe food-induced allergic reactions, quantify the adverse consequences of infant food allergy on children's future health, particularly lung and psychosocial health and measure the impact of food allergy prevention strategies on children’s health.

A/Prof Peters also leads or co-leads several projects aiming to improve the diagnosis of food allergy, understand the immune mechanisms underpinning the natural resolution of food allergy, and collaborates on RCTs on the prevention and treatment of food allergy. She has published over 90 peer-reviewed journal articles, received >$10mil in research funding and is involved in updating international guidelines on the diagnosis of food allergy.
A/Prof Rachel Peters is head of the epidemiology stream of the Population Allergy research group at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute. She leads a research program using large, longitudinal, population-based studies to understand the causes...
A/Prof Rachel Peters is head of the epidemiology stream of the Population Allergy research group at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute. She leads a research program using large, longitudinal, population-based studies to understand the causes and consequences of childhood food allergy.

A/Prof Peters is the principal investigator of the longitudinal HealthNuts study of food allergy, which has followed a cohort of over 5000 children since infancy. HealthNuts is entering its 5th wave as participants turn 15 years of age, which aims to describe the natural history of food allergy and understand the adverse consequence of food allergy on children’s future health. She also leads the first follow-up of the EarlyNuts study, which aims to understand the impact of changing infant feeding guidelines for food allergy prevention, on the prevalence of food allergy and other health outcomes. A/Prof Peters is custodian of the SchoolNuts study which examined food allergy and other allergic diseases in 10-14 students. Together these cohorts total over 17,000 participants. Collectively, her research program aims to identify risk factors and biomarkers of food allergy persistence and resolution, understand why adolescents are at high risk of recurrent and severe food-induced allergic reactions, quantify the adverse consequences of infant food allergy on children's future health, particularly lung and psychosocial health and measure the impact of food allergy prevention strategies on children’s health.

A/Prof Peters also leads or co-leads several projects aiming to improve the diagnosis of food allergy, understand the immune mechanisms underpinning the natural resolution of food allergy, and collaborates on RCTs on the prevention and treatment of food allergy. She has published over 90 peer-reviewed journal articles, received >$10mil in research funding and is involved in updating international guidelines on the diagnosis of food allergy.

Top Publications

  • Allen, KJ, Panjari, M, Koplin, J, Dharmage, S, Peters, RL, Gurrin, L, Sawyer, S, McWilliam, VL, Eckert, JK, Vicendese, D, et al. Nut Allergy Prevalence and Differences Between Asian-Born Children and Australian-Born Children of Asian Descent: A State-Wide Survey of Children at Primary School Entry in Victoria, Australia. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 137(2) : ab155 2016
    view publication
  • Dang, TD, Peters, RL, Allen, KJ. Debates in allergy medicine: baked egg and milk do not accelerate tolerance to egg and milk. World Allergy Organization Journal 9: 2 2016
    view publication
  • Koplin, JJ, Wake, M, Dharmage, SC, Matheson, M, Tang, ML, Gurrin, LC, Dwyer, T, Peters, RL, Prescott, S, Ponsonby, A-L, et al. Cohort Profile: The HealthNuts Study: Population prevalence and environmental/genetic predictors of food allergy. International Journal of Epidemiology 44(4) : 1161 -1171 2015
    view publication
  • Peters, RL, Allen, KJ, Dharmage, SC, Koplin, JJ, Dang, T, Tilbrook, KP, Lowe, A, Tang, MLK, Gurrin, LC, study, H. Natural history of peanut allergy and predictors of resolution in the first 4 years of life: A population-based assessment. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 135(5) : 1257 -1266.e2 2015
    view publication
  • Hua, S, Peters, RL, Allen, KJ, Dharmage, SC, Tang, ML, Wake, M, Foskey, R, Heine, RG, Investigators, HS. Medical intervention in infantile reflux. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health 51(5) : 515 -523 2015
    view publication

Page 24 of 27