AllerGen trainee gains international research experience

With funding provided by AllerGen’s International Trainee Research Visit Program, Dr. Jeremy Hirota recently spent eight weeks working with Professor Philip Hansbro at The University of Newcastle’s Priority Research Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Diseases in New South Wales, Australia.

During his stay, Dr. Hirota performed in vitro and in vivo experiments to study how uric acid—an antioxidant naturally produced by the body—may contribute to airway health and disease. Ultimately, Dr. Hirota hopes to determine how the lung copes with environmental insults with the goal of informing public policy to improve air quality for Canadians. Dr. Hirota is supervised by AllerGen Investigator Dr. Chris Carlsten at The University of British Columbia.

In 2011, AllerGen and the The University of Newcastle signed a Memorandum of Understanding that supports training and skill acquisition opportunities for trainees and young professionals in both Canada and Australia.