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Board of Directors February Meeting Highlights
Board of Directors February Meeting Highlights
Not pictured: Cem Akin, MD, PhD, FAAAAI; Anju T. Peters, MD, MSCI, FAAAAI
The members of the AAAAI Board of Directors met in person February 21-26, 2024, in Washington, DC, to discuss current and future activities. They also heard reports from the Chair of the Annual Meeting Program Committee (AMPC) and Editors-in-Chief of JACI, JACI: Global and JACI: In Practice.
The members of the Board of Directors appreciate the work of AAAAI committee members and Chairs as they strive toward the AAAAI mission to advance the knowledge and practice of allergy, asthma and immunology for optimal patient care. Over the course of the meeting, several significant decisions were made. Here are the highlights:
Approvals
A number of requests were granted approval, including updates to the purpose statements for the Microbial Triggers of Allergic and Immunologic Diseases Committee and the Cells and Mediators of Allergic Inflammation Committee. The Board also approved the continuation of Discovery at the 2025 AAAAI / WAO Joint Congress in San Diego, CA, USA.
The AAAAI Foundation was granted approval for the new Foundation Award to Sustain Research Excellence Bridge Grants and will look to provide up to two of these awards in 2024. Both this new award and the Faculty Development Award will continue in 2025, with approval for up to three awards each.
Presidential Presentations
Immediate Past President Jonathan A. Bernstein, MD, FAAAAI, provided a final update on his presidential initiatives surrounding Volunteerism Addressing Environmental Disparities in Allergy (VAEDIA).
- A questionnaire was submitted to the AAAAI membership regarding volunteerism experience and reasons for volunteering.
- A Call-to-Action manuscript titled, “Volunteerism Addressing Environmental Disparities in Allergy (VAEDIA); The Presidential Initiative to Combat Health Disparities in Allergy and Immunology” which discusses the attributes of volunteerism to address environmental disparities in underserved populations, has been completed and submitted.
- The AAAAI Environmental Health Equity Research Grants were approved, and the first award(s) will be granted in 2025.
- Forum Addressing Health Disparities in Different Regions of The World took place at the 2024 Annual Meeting and focused on the Middle East.
President Paul V. Williams, MD, FAAAAI, provided an update on his planned presidential initiatives focused on establishing allergists and immunologists as the preferred experts on environmental impacts on respiratory and skin disease. He is working to create a bridge between environmental climate change and the allergy/immunology community through collaboration and communication between internal and external entities.
Dr. Williams will also be looking into the impact of climate change in underprivileged communities and the disproportionate effects of climate change in relation to gender-based violence and environmental racism.
Miscellaneous
The leadership of AAAAI met with leaders of the ABAI, ACAAI, EAACI and WAO to continue discussions on current and future collaborating on projects and initiatives, including advocacy regarding 95165 with the ACAAI, the upcoming PRACTALL meeting with EAACI and plans for the AAAAI / WAO 2025 Joint Congress.
Several other projects and topics were discussed, including next steps for the National Allergy Bureau™ (NAB), including approval for the purchase of additional Burkhard machines to help launch new stations.
In addition, the three divisions of the Board of Directors—Education, Practice & Policy and Research & Training—met individually to discuss committee activities.
What
The next Board of Directors meeting
When
June 20-23, 2024
Where
Seattle, WA
