17 April 2024
Leading health and medical research experts will share the latest insights on debilitating childhood gastrointestinal disorders and associated food allergies at a free public forum at QIMR Berghofer this month.
Internationally renowned QIMR Berghofer Mucosal Immunologist Associate Professor Severine Navarro is joining forces with leading Queensland gastroenterologists for the It takes guts: Living with Childhood Gastrointestinal Conditions Forum to mark International Day of Immunology.
Associate Professor Navarro said around one third of Australians experience chronic or relapsing gastrointestinal symptoms, which often develop in childhood and are associated with food sensitivities or intolerances.
"Caring for a child with a gastrointestinal disorder and associated food allergies, whether mild or severe, can be incredibly challenging. These disorders can have a significant effect on quality of life, affecting school performance, sports and social activities," Associate Professor Navarro said.
"We look forward to empowering parents and families to confidently manage these gastrointestinal disorders.
"Our forum will dispel some gastrointestinal and allergy myths and look at how our lifestyles affect our gut health and risk of allergies. We will discuss the surprising ways our bodies respond to food, and recommend steps we can all take to improve our gut microbiome and reduce allergic responses and gastrointestinal symptoms."
Associate Professor Severine Navarro
The public forum will be held at QIMR Berghofer from 9.30am to 11:30am on Sunday, 21 April.
The free family-friendly event is aimed at anyone who would like practical guidance on childhood gastrointestinal disorders, food allergy management, and supporting those with complex dietary needs.
It will include lived-experience panellists, who will also share their journeys to diagnosis and what living with childhood gastrointestinal conditions is like day-to-day.
"Allergy and immunology are large fields in medical research and both are moving quickly. There are exciting therapies emerging that I'm looking forward to sharing with guests at the forum," Associate Professor Navarro said.
Associate Professor Navarro will be joined by pre-eminent clinicians Professor Nikhil Thapar, Director of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Liver Transplant at Queensland Children's Hospital and Associate Professor Peter Lewindon, Paediatric Gastroenterologist at Queensland Children's Hospital.
Associate Professor Navarro is Team Head of QIMR Berghofer's Mucosal Immunology Laboratory, Director of Discovery for the Centre for Childhood Nutrition Research, and Executive Committee Member of the Queensland Immunology Research Network.
EVENT DETAILS
| Date | Sunday 21 April |
| Time | 9.30am to 11.30am |
| Where: | QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston |
| Register: | Register for this free event |
