The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation is a charity dedicated to funding groundbreaking medical research. It is already funding allergy education and training for the next generation of scientists and health care professionals in Allergy. Our goal is that research ultimately leads to treatments and the prevention and eradication of food allergies altogether.  

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The need for research into allergic disease

In the 20 years to 2012, there was a 615% increase in the rate of hospital admissions for anaphylaxis in the UK. Allergies are on the rise and we can no longer relegate research into these conditions to the margins.  Natasha’s tragic death must be a catalyst for a radically different approach to how we as a society, invest in finding solutions to this illness that now impacts so many lives around the globe.

2020 - Supporting allergy research with Natasha Bursaries

Natasha’s Foundation has been funding the University of Southampton’s bursaries for students for over four years, which started in 2020.  They are studying the University’s internationally recognised Allergy Master’s degree and PhD courses at this world-leading allergy research centre.

The MSc Allergy bursaries have been made available to health professionals at any stage of their careers and will help them manage patients with allergies across the NHS. The MSc Allergy is one of only two such courses in the world, and the bursaries have been made available to people looking to enrol on the full master’s course, a Postgraduate qualification, or to study individual modules. The courses not only give students the skills to improve patient care in allergy, they also prepare them to be the allergy leaders of the future.

Professor Judith Holloway who leads the course said:

“The number of people suffering from allergic diseases is increasing globally, but the necessary investment for training is not available in a resource-constrained NHS. This significant donation from Natasha’s Foundation will make a huge difference to the accessibility of our learning, we will be able to train more health professionals who would not otherwise be able to improve their understanding of this important subject.” 

John Holloway, Professor of Allergy and Respiratory Genetics at the University of Southampton said:

“It is vital that we keep developing the next generation of experts to make sure our research to help people suffering from allergies can continue. We are really excited about being able to bring more students to our team, helping us to improve the day to day life of patients with allergies and developing effective treatments.”

2024 - Natasha's medical bursaries extended: Helping the NHS to create allergy leaders

Too many of you reading this will be only too aware of how poorly allergic disease is managed across the NHS due to a lack of allergy medical training and expertise. That is why we have been funding 'Natasha Medical Bursaries' for the last 4 years and have just extended our bursary programme to 2028. 

'Natasha Medical Bursaries' are offered to healthcare professionals so they can receive expert allergy education and training in what is an internationally recognised MSc Allergy. We have worked closely with the University of Southampton, a world-leading allergy research Centre of Excellence, to ensure it is easily accessible and can be studied anywhere in the UK. 

So far, over 73 healthcare professionals such as NHS doctors, nurses, and dieticians have gained from our bursaries and have used their knowledge to help, treat and support allergic patients.

We hope that Natasha's bursaries will empower brand-new allergy leaders of the future, across the NHS.

Sharing allergy research

All research breakthroughs will be published and pioneering research project results shared so that everyone can benefit. With your support, we can fund more breakthrough research and finally cure the growing allergic epidemic we are currently living in. Join our mailing list, Natasha’s Army, to stay in the loop with all the updates on our research projects and chances to be part of our content.

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