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Alexandra Santos

Professor Alexandra Santos MD MSc MRCPCH FHEA PhD

Clinical Professor of Paediatric Food Allergy

Research interests

  • Child & Family
  • Immunology

Biography

Professor Alexandra Santos is Professor of Paediatric Allergy at King’s College London and Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Allergy at the Evelina London Children’s Hospital. 

Alexandra qualified in Medicine from the University of Coimbra and completed her PhD in Allergy and Immunology at King’s College London, supervised by Professor Gideon Lack. Over the years, Alexandra has continued to combine clinical activity in Paediatric Allergy with clinical and laboratory translational research into food allergy.

The Santos Lab aims to improve:

  1. The accuracy and safety of food allergy diagnosis.
  2. Our understanding of the mechanisms of food allergy and oral tolerance in IgE-sensitised children to identify new targets for definitive treatment of food allergy.
  3. Our understanding of the biological basis of anxiety in food allergy. 

Alexandra has received multiple prestigious awards from the Medical Research Council (MRC), including:

  • MRC Clinical Research Training Fellowship
  • MRC Centenary Early Career Award
  • MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship
  • MRC Transition Fellowship

And additional funding from:

  • NIH
  • NIAID through the Immune Tolerance Network
  • Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE)
  • The Wellcome Trust
  • The European Commission
  • Asthma UK as Principal Investigator of Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma. 

Alexandra was part of the first cohort of the Sustain Programme of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Alexandra is the Chair of the Board of the Food Allergy Interest Group of European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) and of the upcoming EAACI Food Allergy Guidelines. 

    Research

    santos banner
    Santos Group

    The Santos lab led by Dr Alexandra Santos

    News

    New Clinical Guidelines for the Diagnosis of Immediate-type Food Allergies are launched

    The EAACI Guidelines on Food Allergy Diagnosis provides recommendations for best practice to reach an accurate diagnosis for immediate food allergies

    Allergy spotlight 780x450

    Study shows that Basophil Activation Test (BAT) is key for predicting allergic reactions

    Researchers have found that BAT was the best biomarker to predict severity and threshold of allergic reactions to eggs

    food allergy

    The quality of food allergy antibodies more important than the quantity in determining whether allergic reactions occur

    New research investigates how allergy antibodies affect the response of allergic cells in peanut allergy.

    peanut allergy thumbnail

    Researchers awarded grant to innovate improvements in food allergy testing

    The grant will support research into food allergy biomarkers to identify new avenues for diagnosing, monitoring, and treating patients.

    food allergy

    Immunotherapy for peanut allergy provides protection but not a cure

    Researchers from King’s have found that a potential treatment for peanut allergy provides some degree of protection but does not cure an allergic patient and...

    peanut

    Events

    28SepInaugural Lectures General 2022-23 thumbnail reduced text final

    Inaugural Lecture: Professors Geeta Hampson & Alexandra Santos

    Inspiring talks from some of our brightest minds

    Please note: this event has passed.

    Spotlight

    How one study changed what we know about peanut allergy

    Research from King’s, led by Professor Gideon Lack and Dr Alexandra Santos, has made ground-breaking in-roads to our understanding of food allergy. Their work...

    Peanuts

    Course Teacher:

    • Paediatric Allergy and Nutrition Research Meetings
    • Paediatric Allergy Complex Cases Discussion

    Course Teacher:

    • Wellcome Trust PhD Programme on Neuroimmunology
    • MRC DTP PhD Programme
    • MSc Women and Children's Health
    • MSc Immunology
    • iBSc Women and Children's Health

      Research

      santos banner
      Santos Group

      The Santos lab led by Dr Alexandra Santos

      News

      New Clinical Guidelines for the Diagnosis of Immediate-type Food Allergies are launched

      The EAACI Guidelines on Food Allergy Diagnosis provides recommendations for best practice to reach an accurate diagnosis for immediate food allergies

      Allergy spotlight 780x450

      Study shows that Basophil Activation Test (BAT) is key for predicting allergic reactions

      Researchers have found that BAT was the best biomarker to predict severity and threshold of allergic reactions to eggs

      food allergy

      The quality of food allergy antibodies more important than the quantity in determining whether allergic reactions occur

      New research investigates how allergy antibodies affect the response of allergic cells in peanut allergy.

      peanut allergy thumbnail

      Researchers awarded grant to innovate improvements in food allergy testing

      The grant will support research into food allergy biomarkers to identify new avenues for diagnosing, monitoring, and treating patients.

      food allergy

      Immunotherapy for peanut allergy provides protection but not a cure

      Researchers from King’s have found that a potential treatment for peanut allergy provides some degree of protection but does not cure an allergic patient and...

      peanut

      Events

      28SepInaugural Lectures General 2022-23 thumbnail reduced text final

      Inaugural Lecture: Professors Geeta Hampson & Alexandra Santos

      Inspiring talks from some of our brightest minds

      Please note: this event has passed.

      Spotlight

      How one study changed what we know about peanut allergy

      Research from King’s, led by Professor Gideon Lack and Dr Alexandra Santos, has made ground-breaking in-roads to our understanding of food allergy. Their work...

      Peanuts

      Course Teacher:

      • Paediatric Allergy and Nutrition Research Meetings
      • Paediatric Allergy Complex Cases Discussion

      Course Teacher:

      • Wellcome Trust PhD Programme on Neuroimmunology
      • MRC DTP PhD Programme
      • MSc Women and Children's Health
      • MSc Immunology
      • iBSc Women and Children's Health