Allergy And Skin Study Day

Tuesday 23rd April 2024

Course directors

Prof Carsten Flohr

Prof Carsten Flohr

Head, Unit for Population-Based Dermatology Research
St. John’s Institute of Dermatology
Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London

Carsten Flohr studied at Cambridge and Oxford Universities and then trained in both paediatrics and dermatology. He was the first UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinician Scientist in Dermatology (2009-2014) and currently holds a senior Career Development Fellowship from the NIHR.

He directs the Unit for Population-Based Dermatology Research at St John’s Institute of Dermatology. Carsten Flohr is also a Professor at King’s College London and Honorary Consultant in Dermatology as well as Research & Development Lead at St John’s Institute of Dermatology, Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.

Prof Flohr has a particular interest in population-based dermatology research and clinical trials with a focus on atopic eczema. For instance, he is Chief Investigator of the UK-Irish TREatment of severe eczema in children Trial (TREAT), which compares ciclosporine with methotrexate in children with recalcitrant atopic eczema. He is also Chief Investigator of the UK-Irish Atopic Eczema Systemic Therapy Register (A*STAR).

Prof Flohr is a Director of the International Eczema Council and Secretary of the British Society of Paediatric Dermatology. He also chairs the British Association of Dermatologists Biologics Intervention Register (BADBIR) Data Monitoring Committee.

He is Editor of the Evidence-Based Dermatology Section of the British Journal of Dermatology and the Clinical Trials Editor of the F1000 Atopic Dermatitis Section.

Dr Tom Marrs

Director

Dr Tom Marrs

Consultant Paediatric Allergist in Children's Allergy Service at Guy's & St Thomas's Hospitals

Dr Tom Marrs is a Consultant in Paediatric Allergy working in the Children’s Allergies Department at St Thomas Hospital. Tom is also the director of the Allergy Academy. Tom read Medicine, Psychology and Medical Law at Clare College, Cambridge, before completing his clinical training at St Bartholomew’s and Royal London Medical School.

In 2011, Tom joined the team running the Enquiring About Tolerance (EAT) Study which investigated whether the early introduction of allergenic foods may prevent the development of food allergy. His research investigates how the microbiome influences the development of allergic disease. After his four years as Clinical Lecturer, he is now developing new initiatives within the Allergy Academy.

Dr Alexandra Santos

Dr Alexandra Santos

Alexandra F. Santos is a Senior Clinical Lecturer and MRC Clinician Scientist at King’s College London and an Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Allergy at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Alexandra qualified in Medicine from the University of Coimbra and completed a PhD in Allergy and Immunology at King's College London, supervised by Professor Gideon Lack. The focuses of her thesis were diagnostic markers of clinical allergy versus sensitisation to peanut, including the basophil activation test, IgE and IgG4 testing. Alexandra continues to combine clinical activity with clinical and laboratory research to improve the diagnosis and the immune mechanisms of food allergy and oral tolerance.

Alexandra has received prestigious awards from the Medical Research Council (MRC): an MRC Clinical Research Training Fellowship, an MRC Centenary Early Career Award and recently an MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship. She has also obtained funding from the Immune Tolerance Network/NIAID for her work in the LEAP Study. Alexandra has been very active in the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), where she has joined various task-forces to generate guidelines for patients’ care and is a member of the Board of the Food Allergy Interest Group and of the EAACI Exam Committee and was previously the Chair of the Junior Members, member of the Board of the Paediatric Section and of the EAACI Executive Committee. Her main research interests are: food allergy, anaphylaxis, allergy diagnosis and allergy prevention.