Speakers

Stefania Arasi (MD, PhD, MSc) is a pediatrician specializing in Allergy and Immunology. She conducts clinical care and translational research at the Pediatric Allergology Unit of Bambino Gesù Children’s Research Hospital in Rome. An author of over 200 peer-reviewed articles, her work focuses on primary research, systematic reviews, and evidence-based guidelines. Her core expertise includes anaphylaxis, biological targeted therapies, allergen immunotherapy, food allergies (including FPIES and cow’s milk allergy), respiratory allergies, and urticaria.

She holds prominent leadership roles within major international scientific societies, particularly the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI):

– Member: Anaphylaxis Section (2026-28), Biological Working Group (2024-26), and Quality Committee (2024-28).

– Past-Chair: Pediatric Section (2022-24) and former Pediatric Board Representative for the UEMS-EAACI Exam Committee.

– Event Chair: Chair for PAAM 2023 and Co-chair for PAAM 2025.

Additionally, she is the Chair of the WAO consensus on the Definition of Food Allergy Severity (DEFASE) (2023-2026).

Dr. Arasi serves as an Associate Editor for the WAO Journal and is an Editorial Board member for Pediatric Allergy and Immunology and Clinical & Experimental Allergy. She is a recipient of national and international grants and a frequent invited speaker at global congresses.

Alan Baptist is a Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and is the Division Head of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at Henry Ford Health. He holds joint appointments at both Michigan State University Department of Medicine and the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Dr Baptist obtained his medical degree from Loyola University of Chicago and a Master of Public Health degree from Wayne State University. He completed his internship, residency, and fellowship at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He holds multiple grant awards from agencies such as the NIH and the American Lung Association and was a previous awardee of a AAAAI Faculty Development Award. He was a member of the NIH 2020 Asthma Guideline Update Committee. He is the founder and director of the Henry Ford Health Comprehensive Asthma Program.

Dr. Baptist has a particular interest in health disparities in asthma, asthma in older adults, and the implementation of asthma guidelines into practice. He has published over 115 papers on these and other topics.

TBC

She is currently the Dean of the School of Medicine. Previously, she served as the Chief Medical Officer at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra, and the Head of the Department of Allergy from 2005 to 2023. In addition to her research, she dedicates her career to educational innovation, having trained at the Harvard Macy Institute at Harvard Medical School.

The most significant contributions of her scientific career have centered, on one hand, on researching the mechanisms, characteristics, and treatment of chronic urticaria, and on the other, on the design of new adjuvants (nanoparticles and microparticles) for immunotherapy administration.

She has been the Principal Investigator (PI) of 18 competitive research projects totaling over €2 million. Her professional trajectory is particularly highlighted by her research in chronic urticaria and angioedema; her investigations led to the discovery of the use of Omalizumab for the treatment of urticaria. In the field of angioedema, she laid the groundwork for the definition and treatment of histaminergic angioedema, with her studies serving as international benchmarks.

Currently, she is the PI of a FIS (Health Research Fund) project focusing on the pathophysiological mechanisms of angioedema, as well as the PI of a Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness project dedicated to the design and treatment of peanut allergy using oral nanoparticle immunotherapy. She has conducted four clinical trials acting as both the sponsor and the PI.

In 2023, she received the Clemens von Pirquet Award for clinical research from the EAACI (European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology), the most prestigious recognition awarded in the field of Allergology. In 2025, she was also honored with the EAACI Clinical Fellowship Award.

She serves as a Group Coordinator for the RICORS network of inflammatory and immune diseases. She is the Chair of the EAACI Tailored Education Committee, a Fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), and a Member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Society of Allergology (SEAIC).

Dr Robin Gore is a consultant respiratory physician at Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. Addenbrooke’s Hospital is home to the east of England severe asthma network hub. The severe asthma team has built a region-wide inclusive holistic service for those with severe asthma – adopting, developing and sharing models of network care over the years.

Dr Gore’s main specialist clinical interest is in severe asthma and allergic airways disease.

He also has research interests in local clinical trials delivery and in aeroallergen exposure. He studied the latter during PhD studies at the University of Manchester.

He is also a clinical co-lead for the NHS England Respiratory Network (East of England) which has delivered service improvement projects in the fields of MART therapy roll-out, housing, and asthma HCP education, in addition to projects in other key subspecialties.

He still checks in with regular general respiratory clinic and on call work.

He is currently President of the BSACI.

TBC

Professor Mohamed Shamji is a Professor in Immunology and Allergy, Head of the Immunomodulation and Tolerance Group and Principal Investigator within the section of Inflammation, Repair and Development and Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London.
His research interest entails understanding the underpinning mechanisms of upper and lower airway diseases, including food allergy, to support the identification of diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring biomarkers of immune modulation by biologicals and allergen immunotherapy. Professor Mohamed Shamji has gained national and international recognition for his research expertise in the field of allergen-specific immunotherapy, immunomodulation and studies mechanisms of allergen-specific immunotherapy on cellular/humoral and molecular levels and how it induces immunological and clinical tolerance. His research also involves the identification of novel biomarkers for monitoring the clinical efficacy of allergen immunotherapy. Professor Shamji is actively engaged in evaluating novel approaches to allergen immunotherapy using a modified hypoallergic form of allergen protein, subcutaneous immunotherapy combined with novel adjuvants, sublingual immunotherapy, peptide immunotherapy, biologics plus allergen of interest strategies to improve safety, efficacy and induce immune tolerance to sensitise allergens. His research has led to several preclinical studies moving onto phase II and III trials of allergen immunotherapy, biologicals and immune modulators.
He is a Principal Investigator and co-investigator on MRC, the immune tolerance network (ITN/NIH) and several industry-funded projects funded through Imperial College London. He has published >150 peer-reviewed articles in the field of allergy, allergen immunotherapy, and biologicals. He received the Phadia Allergy Research Forum (PhARF) Award 2018 (the most Prestigious Award in Allergy). He is also a recipient German Society of Allergy (AeDA) Immunotherapy Award 2021. He is the past Chair of the EAACI Scientific Programme Committee and EAACI Immunotherapy Interest Group. He served on the EAACI Science Committee and chaired the EAACI Research and Outreach Committee. He serves as EAACI Vice-President of Congresses and leads the EAACI ROC Working Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science in precision immunology for personalised medicine. Dr Shamji is also a member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) Immunotherapy, Rhinitis, Sinusitis and Ocular Diseases (IRSO) Interest Section.

Dr Isabel Skypala is a consultant allergy dietitian who established and runs the food allergy service for adults at the Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals,part of Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust in London. She is also an honorary Senior Clinical lecturer at Imperial College, London. Her research isfocused on plant food allergy, and she has published over 90 peer-reviewed papers and books. Dr Skypala has spent the last 25 years promoting the role ofdietitians in allergy in the UK, the USA and Europe. She is currently the co-chair of the British Society of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (BSACI) Standards ofCare Committee. She was a member of the Executive Committee of the European Academy of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (EAACI) for 7 years and mostrecently chaired the Food Allergy Interest Group. She also leads the Plant Food Allergy Workgroup of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma &Immunology (AAAAI). In recognition of her work and services to allergy, Dr Skypala received the BSACI William Frankland award in 2014, the AAAAI AlliedHealth Professional Recognition Award in 2022, and the EAACI Daniel Bouvet Award for Clinical Excellence in 2026.

Dr Ying Teo is a Consultant Dermatologist with a specialist interest in atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, and cutaneous adverse drug reactions. Following completion of her undergraduate training at the University of Cambridge, she undertook dermatology training and fellowship in cutaneous allergy at the St John’s Institute of Dermatology, London. She serves as a committee member of the British Society for Medical Dermatology (BSMD) and the British Society for Cutaneous Allergy (BSCA), contributing to the advancement of medical dermatology and the diagnosis and management of cutaneous allergic disorders.

Dr Teo is committed to advancing the understanding and management of allergic skin diseases through evidence-based practice and multidisciplinary collaboration. Her clinical expertise includes the investigation and diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis through patch testing and also has a particular interest in drug allergy testing. Her work focuses on the careful evaluation of clinical history, skin manifestations and appropriate diagnostic investigations to determine causative drug in delayed drug hypersensitivity.

Maria J Torres is an internationally renowned clinical scientist and medical leader. At the University of Málaga, she is a Full Professor of Medicine and Dermatology. She also leads the Allergy Service at the Regional University Hospital of Málaga, steering it to the maximum quality accreditation level via the Andalusian Health Quality Agency, EAACI and WAO. She serves as Past-President of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI)

She acts as Lead Researcher of the Precision Allergy Translational Hub (PATH) at IBIMA-BIONAND and manages an elite research ecosystem. She has been the Principal Investigator for 22 competitive regional, national, and European research projects and has supervised 20 doctoral theses. She has published 348 publications (H-Index (WOS) 68).

An innovator and entrepreneur, she holds 9 patents. Her executive roles include serving as co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal Allergy (Impact Factor 12.4), member of the Experts Committee of the EMA, and President of the Scientific Research Ethics Committee of Málaga.

Dr Paul Turner is Professor of Anaphylaxis, Paediatric Allergy & Clinical Immunology at Imperial College London. His research focusses on the pathophysiology of severe allergic reactions to food, and how this impacts upon allergen risk management and allergen labelling. Paul is a consultant to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and a previous senior advisor to the UK Food Standards Agency. He is also a panel member on the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation / World Health Organisation Expert Consultation on Risk Assessment of Food Allergens. He is vice-chair of the UK’s National Allergy Strategy Group, and current chairperson of the WAO Anaphylaxis Committee. Paul was awarded the 2020 PhARf Award by the European Academy of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, and the WAO 2026 Scientific Achievement Award.

Dr. Julie Wang is Professor of Pediatrics and a researcher in the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She completed her undergraduate degree at Harvard University, medical degree and pediatric residency at Weill Cornell Medicine and allergy/immunology fellowship at Mount Sinai. Her research focuses on developing new treatments for food allergies as well as better understanding how patients and their families manage food allergies and anaphylaxis in schools and other community settings.

As a member of the Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters and immediate-past Chair of the Section on Allergy and Immunology of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Wang has co-authored guidelines on food allergy and anaphylaxis. She is also on the board of directors of the ABAI. She has been an active Fellow of the AAAAI, serving as past Chair of the Annual Meeting Programming Committee, past Chair of the ADDA Interest Section, current Vice Chair of the Adverse Reactions to Foods Committee, and editorial board member for JACI and JACI: In Practice.

Dr Watts is a Consultant Physician in Adult Allergy at Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, London, where he leads the drug allergy service. He was appointed Clinical Lead for Allergy at Homerton Healthcare in 2024.

He qualified from Barts and The London Medical School and was later awarded a competitive NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship in Allergy. He completed specialty training in Adult Allergy within Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospitals.

Dr Watts has specialist clinical and research interests in delayed (Type IV) drug hypersensitivity and has published & presented widely in this field. He additionally developed and leads a Tertiary Drug Patch Testing service at Homerton University Hospital – receiving regional referrals from across London. His clinical expertise in particular focuses on the utility, methodology, efficacy and safety of Drug Patch Testing, and the wider investigation of Delayed T-cell mediated drug reactions. He is also a Member of the WAO Drug Hypersensitivity Reactions Committee and sits of the Health Advisory Board for Allergy UK.

Professor Werfel has been Director of the Department of Dermatology and Allergy at Hannover Medical School since 2022. Since 2008 he served as Head of Division Immunodermatology and Allergy Research and Vice Director of Dept. of Dermatology and Allergy, MHH

Prof. Werfel completed his medical degree in Göttingen and London, graduating in 1985 and obtaining his MD in 1987. He completed his Habilitation in 1996.

He passed his specialist examination in dermatology in 1994 and was awarded the additional qualification in allergology in 1995.

Since 2015 Prof. Werfel is board member of the German Society of Dermatology (DDG) and was in the boards of the ESDR and EAACI before. From 2016 – 2019 he served as President of the German Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (DGAKI).

Prof. Werfel previously served as Deputy Editor of the J Invest Dermatol and has been active in the board of other scientitif journals. He currently is Editor-In-chief of the journals *Allergologie* and *Allergologie Select*.

TBC

Prof. Dr. med. Margitta Worm has been appointed as a full university professor for immune modulation of allergic diseases at the Charité – medical University Berlin. She is currently the head of the Division of Allergy and Immunology of the Department of Dermatology and Allergy including the Clinical Experimental Allergy and Immunology unit of the Allergy-Center-Charité. She has a long-term expertise in clinical trials and her clinical and research interests include atopic dermatitis, eczema, anaphylaxis, food allergy, autoimmune skin diseases and immune modulation in allergy and immunology. Prof. Worm has initiated and was involved in several national and international guidelines including anaphylaxis. She is the past president of the German allergy society (DGAKI) and an active member in several national and international societies (BDG, DDG, DGAKI, EAACI, WAO). She acts as an ad hoc reviewer for national and international dermatology and allergy journals.