Dr. Edmond S. Chan receives Robyn Allen Leadership Award

AllerGen investigator and pediatric allergist Dr. Edmond S. Chan (The University of British Columbia & BC Children’s Hospital) is the winner of the 2019 Robyn Allen Leadership Award.

The award is presented by AllerGen Legacy Partner Food Allergy Canada (FAC) to recognize an individual who has made a unique contribution to the lives of Canadians with food allergy through his or her efforts in education, advocacy, community building, leadership, or fundraising.

AllerGen NCE was also a nominee for this year’s award, for its contributions to “the understanding of food allergy, anaphylaxis and other related conditions through its research efforts,” which “have important implications for national food allergy management policy and practice.”

Dr. Chan is a clinician-scientist interested in food allergy prevention, diagnosis, and management who has contributed to AllerGen’s NFASt research portfolio and who is involved in the National Food Allergy Action Plan championed by AllerGen’s Legacy Partners FAC and the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (CSACI).

“There are few things I find more rewarding than being able to be in the clinical setting, seeing my patients and their parents, and sharing how my research work translates to what we’re going to do for the care of their child,” comments Dr. Chan in an online interview with FAC.

The award memorializes Robyn Allen, who passed away from an anaphylactic reaction in 1990, at 15 years of age. Robyn’s parents, Marilyn and Bob, have made it their mission to ensure that “her story continues to be a beacon of awareness, encouraging others to strive to better the lives of those with potentially life-threatening allergy.”