Allergy, Anaphylaxis and Tolerance in Beekeepers: January 2026

Dr Claire Bethune is an Honorary Professor and Deputy Head of the Medical School at the University of Plymouth. As Clinical Lead for the Immunology and Allergy Service at University Hospitals Plymouth, she established one of the largest venom immunotherapy services in the UK. Claire is the National Specialist Advisor for Allergy and Immunology for NHS England and sits on the steering group for the British Society of Immunology’s Clinical Immunology Professional Network (BSI-CIPN). She also led the development of the Royal College of Physicians’ national accreditation scheme for immunology services and has been a lead assessor for the RCP allergy accreditation program. Claire is currently the lead investigator for the Ubees Study, recruiting beekeepers across Devon and Cornwall to explore factors that influence the range of responses to bee stings, from mild reactions to anaphylaxis.

Dr Paul Turner is Professor of Anaphylaxis, Paediatric Allergy & Clinical Immunology at Imperial College London. His research focusses on the pathophysiology of severe allergic reactions to food, and how this impacts upon allergen risk management and allergen labelling. Paul is a consultant to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and a previous senior advisor to the UK Food Standards Agency. He is also a panel member on the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation / World Health Organisation Expert Consultation on Risk Assessment of Food Allergens. He is vice-chair of the UK's National Allergy Strategy Group, and current chairperson of the WAO Anaphylaxis Committee. Paul was the recipient of the 2020 PhARf Award, awarded by the European Academy of Allergy & Clinical Immunology.