Research Programs

Asthma Action Study

Research
The Asthma Society of Canada uses research as a basis for all of its program development. We work with our network of partners to access the latest in clinical and consumer research. We also carry out our own research and validation testing for new programs as they are developed, and evaluate the effectiveness of programs in helping participants gain - and retain - control over their asthma.

Historically:
The Society funded research such as:

• Evaluation of education on the quality of life in individuals with asthma.
• Effects of weight reduction on airway reactivity in females with asthma.
• Regulation of T-lymphocyte survival by resident cells in asthma.
• Role of the endothelin system in allergic asthma.
• Effect of corticosteroids on airway hyper-responsiveness and airway remodeling.

The Future:

The Asthma Society of Canada is pleased to announce our support of the Allergy, Genes, and Environment Network (AllerGen), a Network of Centres of Excellence.

AllerGen NCE Inc.

AllerGen was selected for NCE support in 2004 and launched its research program in April 2005.

AllerGen's Mission:

AllerGen's mission is to catalyze and support discovery, development, networking, capacity building, commercialization and knowledge translation that contribute to reducing the morbidity, mortality and socio-economic burden of allergic and related immune diseases.

AllerGen's Vision:

AllerGen's vision is to create an enduring network of allergy and immune disease experts whose discovery and development efforts contribute to reducing the impact of allergic and related immune diseases nationally and globally.

AllerGen's Strategic Goals are to:

• Catalyze and support innovative research that contributes to the discovery of the causes of, and ways to prevent, control or eliminate allergic and related immune diseases.
• Catalyze and facilitate the development of new research platforms, tools, processes, products and services arising from discoveries, and promote their commercialization, their use and their influence on public policy.
• Develop and maintain networking and partnership arrangements that enable knowledge and technology exchange and exploitation (KTEE) and reposition Canada at the forefront of innovation.
• Create new opportunities for the training of highly qualified personnel in allergy research, patient care, innovation and the health system, and advance professional and lay knowledge about allergic and related immune diseases.
• Provide responsible, cost effective and accountable management, administration and support to all aspects of AllerGen's activities.

From 2009 to 2012, AllerGen seeks to invest in nationally networked research teams demonstrating excellence, productivity and offering unique capacity building opportunities, as well as in research that builds on and extends existing AllerGen and partner investments with potential to accelerate social and economic impact through application of research results to real world problems and challenges faced by partner organisations, sectors of the Canadian economy and/or society. AllerGen research priorities include three research foci of strategic importance to the generation of new knowledge with potential for social and economic impact in the area of allergic and related immune disease.

For more information visit www.allergen-nce.ca