University joins European Network of Excellence on asthma and allergy research

Professor Tony Frew from the University of Southampton School of Medicine will join Europe's leading researchers on asthma and allergy at the launch of an international group in Brussels on Thursday 12 February.

The Network of Excellence has been awarded 15 million euros over five years by the European Union.

It will bring together outstanding allergy research centres across the EU with the aim of integrating their research programmes and encouraging young scientists to travel to other parts of Europe. There will also be a series of summer schools to increase research capacity in asthma and allergy.

Professor Frew said, "Allergy and asthma affect a lot of people across many countries. Much work is underway but we need to build new relationships between the researchers. We all make assumptions about the causes of allergy and asthma based on our local experience, but we need to test the work in different communities."

In Southampton, Professor Frew's team is looking at the work of nutrition in the development and expression of allergy. Elsewhere, researchers are examining pollution generated in homes and offices, early life factors and clinical care.