Immune Tolerance Network

Benaroya Research Institute leads the Immune Tolerance Network (ITN), a collaborative network for clinical research, funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Immune tolerance therapies reprogram the immune system so that disease-causing immune responses are stopped while maintaining the immune system’s ability to combat pathogen infection. The ITN develops and conducts clinical trials, each supported by mechanistic studies, of specialized immune tolerance therapies in the following areas:

  • Autoimmune Disease
  • Allergies and Asthma
  • Organ Transplantation

In 2021 BRI was awarded its second seven year grant of $27 million annually to provide management and oversight of the Network and fund the ITN’s development, coordination, and implementation of international clinical trials for novel therapies and mechanistic, laboratory-based studies in immune tolerance. The ITN grant is one of the largest NIH awards made to any institution and is a significant recognition of the stature of BRI in the research community.

The ITN is also a leading innovator in clinical transparency, as well as data and sample sharing through TrialShare, an online resource that provides access to underlying data, analyses and samples from ITN’s clinical trials. The TrialShare web portal addresses a critical gap in data sharing, making information from research studies fully available so that results can be verified and extended.

ITN Leadership at BRI

Philip Bernstein

Philip Bernstein, PhD

Executive Director, Office of Strategic Review, Immune Tolerance Network; Research Associate Member
View Bio
Jane Buckner

Jane Buckner, MD

President, BRI; Member; Principal Investigator, Buckner Lab
View Bio
Mary Roy

Mary Roy

Chief Administrative Officer, Immune Tolerance Network

BRI Staff Supporting ITN

Shannon Achilles

Shannon Achilles

Clinical Financial Analyst, Immune Tolerance Network
Alison Bemis

Alison Bemis

Finance & Grants Director, Immune Tolerance Network
Xin Chen

Xin Chen

Web Developer, Immune Tolerance Network
Olivia Doyle

Olivia Doyle, PhD

Project Manager, Immune Tolerance Network
Jesse Forrest

Jesse Forrest

Data Architect, Immune Tolerance Network
Aaron Gannon

Aaron Gannon

Senior Business Intelligence Analyst, Immune Tolerance Network
Jared Hennessey

Jared Hennessey

Data Collaboration Team Director, Immune Tolerance Network
Andrew Kastner

Andrew Kastner

Grants & Contracts Analyst, Immune Tolerance Network
Kidan Kebede

Kidan Kebede

Database Analyst/Developer, Immune Tolerance Network
Michael Konieczny

Michael Konieczny

Core Lab Ops Manager, Immune Tolerance Network
Generic Bio Profile

Nabil Morad

Biorepository Manager, Immune Tolerance Network
Blanca Obregon

Blanca Obregon

Database Analyst Developer, Immune Tolerance Network
Sebastian Ramos

Sebastian Ramos

Clinical Financial Analyst, Immune Tolerance Network
Ben Siyum

Ben Siyum

IT Systems Engineer, Immune Tolerance Network

Blog Stories

Blog Main Image - Peanut Butter in Jar Top View
April 11, 2022

Progress Against Peanut Allergies

One question inspired Erik Wambre, PhD, to dedicate his career to allergy research. “Why can most people eat peanuts without a problem, but some people have a serious reaction to just a small amount?” he says. “What makes one person allergic and not another?”

Read Article
Blog Main Image - EDITORIAL Debra Smith Sofia Smith
June 15, 2021

Hope for MS Powers Support for BRI

Debra Smith first learned about BRI when a friend invited her to the Boeing Classic Golf Tournament in the early 2010s. BRI’s work became personal when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2013.

Read Article
Blog Main Image - 3D COVID Syringes
December 21, 2020

Volunteering in a COVID-19 Vaccine Trial: BRI Team Members Share Their Experience

Without clinical research participants, we might not have groundbreaking cancer treatments like immunotherapy or vaccines for polio, rubella and other life-threatening diseases.

Read Article

News

News Science in Seattle

Science in Seattle: A first-in-human, open-label Phase 1b and a randomised, double-blind Phase 2a clinical trial in recent-onset type 1 diabetes with AG019 as monotherapy and in combination with teplizumab

Read the publication ➡
News Immune Tolerance Network ITN

Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason Receives Second 7-Year Award from the National Institutes of Health to Lead the Immune Tolerance Network

Read More
News Medical Xpress

Biological 'atlas' shows dual personality for immune cells that cause type 1 diabetes

Read more ➡