Message from the President
Welcome to the website of the Collegium Internationale Allergologicum (CIA)
In the 1950’s, the founders of the CIA envisioned a society that would promote and celebrate excellence in basic science and clinical investigation in allergy and related fields. When the Collegium was founded in 1954, the Constitution stated (in Article 1): "The Collegium is an international group for the study of scientific and clinical problems in allergy and related branches of medicine and immunology. The Collegium aims to promote the humble spirit of scientific enquiry, friendly cooperation, good fellowship and professional relationships in the field of allergy."
This spirit has guided the activities of the Collegium to the present day. The Collegium is deliberately designed to be a small and highly interactive group not burdened by the bureaucracy and anonymity that characterizes many large international and professional scientific societies today. With an active, by-nomination-only membership that is limited to 250 people, the Collegium has a unique role as both an international honorary society comprised of many of the best scientists in allergy and clinical immunology, drawn from both academic and biopharmaceutical settings, and a forum that fosters scientific collaborations among its members. From the beginning, the Collegium has paid special attention to identifying promising young scientists as candidates for membership, which now includes women and men from across the globe.
During my time as Collegium president, I will focus on the theme of Fostering Translational Precision Medicine in Allergy and Clinical Immunology. As our society moves into the future, we must commit to creating partnerships with various authorities and our colleagues in industry. These partnerships will assist us in promoting basic science, translational aspects and new therapeutic strategies.
Our biennial meetings provide opportunities for each member of the Collegium, and their invited guests, to deliver oral and poster presentations based on abstracts submitted and organized into a scientific program that deliberately has no parallel sessions. This permits all attendees to enjoy and learn from each of the presentations as well as fostering interdisciplinary interactions, so important in tackling modern disease problems.
We also strive to allow ample time for informal interactions, and to offer an attractive social program that permits attendees and accompanying persons to take advantage of the location where the meetings occur. Indeed, the combination of scientific excellence and warmly collegial atmosphere, experienced in places of exceptional interest and attractiveness, is a fundamental characteristic of the CIA.
With these key features in mind, our next meeting will be hosted by Dr. Judah Denburg and other Canadian colleagues and held in Montréal, Canada from 10-14 October 2023. As we look forward to building the programme for our 33rd CIA meeting, please continue to visit our website for updates. I greatly look forward to welcoming you to Montréal!
Best regards,
Thomas Bieber, MD, PhD, MDRA
President, Collegium Internationale Allergologicum