About ASCIA

This webpage includes the following information about ASCIA:

• Purpose and Objectives
• Staff 
• Code of Conduct 
• Members
• Initiatives and Priorities
• Committees and Working Parties
• Sponsorship
• Conferences and Meetings
• Newsletter

ASCIA Purpose and Objectives

The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) was established in 1990 as the peak professional body of clinical immunology/allergy specialists in Australia and New Zealand. ASCIA is a Company limited by guarantee (ACN 608 798 241; ABN 45 615 521 452) and is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities/74feaaa8-38af-e811-a963-000d3ad24077/profile 

ASCIA is a member society of the World Allergy Organisation (WAO) and the Asia Pacific Association of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology (APAAACI). ASCIA is affiliated with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) as a Specialty Society.

ASCIA acknowledges and pays respect to past, present and emerging traditional custodians and elders of the lands on which ASCIA members and staff live, learn and work. 

ASCIA Purpose  

ASCIA's purpose is to advance the science and practice of allergy and clinical immunology.

This is achieved by promoting the highest standard of medical practice, training, education and research, to improve the quality of life and health of people with immune system disorders.  These include allergies, immunodeficiencies and other immune diseases.

ASCIA works towards achieving its purpose by undertaking a wide range of initiatives that are prioritised to provide benefits to ASCIA members, other health professionals, patients, carers and the community. ASCIA priorities for 2022-2023 are listed on the ASCIA website

ASCIA Objectives

1. Standards - Promote the highest standards of allergy and immunology medical training, practice and care.  ASCIA achieves this objective through providing accessible, consistent and evidence-based education and resources that are used throughout Australia and New Zealand to assist in the prevention, diagnosis, management and treatment of allergy, anaphylaxis, immunodeficiencies and other immune system disorders. www.allergy.org.au/hp/papers
2. Education and Training- Provide high quality allergy and immunology reources, education for ASCIA members, other health professionals, patients, carers and community. ASCIA achieves this objective through hosting the ASCIA Annual Conference, ASCIA e-training courses and providing information for health professionals, patients, carers and community, which is regularly developed and updated. www.allergy.org.au/about-ascia/education-projects
3. Expertise and Advice - Utilise the clinical and academic expertise of ASCIA members and stakeholders to address allergy and immunology issues, provide advice, representation and submissions to government and other organisations. ASCIA achieves this objective by making submissions, responding to government and other organisations. www.allergy.org.au/ascia-reports#s1
4. Advocacy and Collaborations - Increase the profile of allergy, immunology and immunopathology and advocate for patients. ASCIA has been working on advocacy for the past 30 years and is involved in many collaborations. www.allergy.org.au/about-ascia/collaborations
5. Research - Promote and fund research to improve health and quality of life of people with allergy and other immune diseases. ASCIA achieves this through collaborations with research bodies www.allergy.org.au/about-ascia/collaborations, listing of research studies www.allergy.org.au/hp/research-studies and Allergy and Immunology Foundation of Australasia (AIFA). Since AIFA was established by ASCIA, AIFA grants have provided funding for 27 research projects since 2015. www.allergyimmunology.org.au/projects 

ASCIA Staff and Contractors

ASCIA relies on the highly valued work from employees, contractors and the voluntary contributions of ASCIA members.

ASCIA staff and contractors are listed at www.allergy.org.au/members/committees#d

The ASCIA employment and contracting policy is available here:

ASCIA Policy Employment and Contracting 202240.29 KB

The ASCIA COVID-19 Office Safety Plan is available here:

ASCIA COVID-19 Office Safety Plan 202173.38 KB

ASCIA Code of Conduct

ASCIA is committed to ensuring that all ASCIA employees, contractors and members behave towards each other with fairness, dignity, courtesy and respect, without bullying, harassment or discrimination.   

ASCIA Code of Conduct Nov 2019129.87 KB

ASCIA Members

ASCIA members are health professionals who work in the areas of allergy, clinical immunology and immunopathology. As of December 2022, there are 737 ASCIA members, comprising:

• 277 Full ASCIA members, who are mostly clinical immunology/allergy specialists and they are listed on the ASCIA website www.allergy.org.au/patients/locate-a-specialist
• 76 Associate (Trainee) members, who are completing their advanced training to become clinical immunology/allergy specialists.
• 141 Associate (Medical) members, who are medical practitioners who manage some patients with allergic conditions, but are not clinical immunology/allergy specialists. 
• 149 Associate (Other Health Professional) members, including 123 nurses and 47 dietitians.
• 40 Associate (Scientist/Researcher) members.
• 24 Retired ASCIA members.

All current ASCIA members are listed on www.allergy.org.au/members/directory (members section of the ASCIA website).

Membership applications are available from the ASCIA website www.allergy.org.au/members/apply

ASCIA Initiatives and Priorities 

For details about ASCIA initiatives and priorities go to www.allergy.org.au/about-ascia/ascia-initiatives 

ASCIA Committees and Working Parties

ASCIA committee chairs are represented on ASCIA Council. In addition there are seveeral ASCIA working parties and collaborations, which are not all represented on ASCIA Council.

Further information is available at www.allergy.org.au/members/committees 

Terms of Reference for ASCIA committees and working parties is available at www.allergy.org.au/members/committees/terms-of-reference

For qualifications of ASCIA members go to www.allergy.org.au/patients/locate-a-specialist 

ASCIA Sponsorship 

ASCIA provides education, training and professional development opportunities, which are accessed by:

• Health professionals - including ASCIA Annual Conferences, ASCIA educational meetings, TAPID meetings, ASCIA advanced training meetings, ASCIA online resources and e-training courses.
• Patients and carers - including ASCIA online information.
• Community - including ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training courses for schools, children's education/care services and community.

ASCIA educational activities are dependent mainly on income from ASCIA Annual Conferences, ASCIA annual membership fees, educational grants from governments for specific projects and unrestricted educational grants from industry.

For information about ASCIA sponsorship go to www.allergy.org.au/about-ascia/sponsors 

ASCIA Conferences and Meetings 

ASCIA Annual Conferences are usually held in late August or early September, with locations rotating between Australian states and New Zealand on approximately a six year cycle. Further information is available here.  

In addition there are more regular educational dinner meetings for ASCIA members which are organised by local ASCIA area representatives. Further information is available here.

ASCIA Newsletters

ASCIA members receive a monthly e-newsletter as part of their membership entitlements, which includes information that is specific for ASCIA members. 

A similar e-newsletter is available for health professionals who are not ASCIA members, the media, industry and the community, to provide news about allergy and other immune diseases. Previous issues are available at www.allergy.org.au/about-ascia/updates 

You can subscribe by simply entering your name and email address in the section under ASCIA Update on the right hand side of the ASCIA website homepage www.allergy.org.au 

Subscriber details remain confidential and you can unsubscribe at any time. To review our privacy information go to www.allergy.org.au/about-ascia/disclaimer-and-privacy#privacy  

Content updated April 2023