Eimear O'Rourke
Student, School of Medicine
TEDx Talk Title - 'Avoidance kept us alive. But exposure might set us free'
Millions of people live in constant fear of food allergies, worried that a single crumb could shut down their body or even take their life. I know that fear firsthand, having survived near-death reactions from a severe nut allergy, all caused by human error and avoidable mistakes.
For years, the advice was simple: avoid the allergen, carry your EpiPen, and hope for the best. But that narrative is changing. Thanks to new science and treatments, we’re training immune systems to trust instead of attack. Therapies like oral immunotherapy and peanut patches offer hope to millions. Children who once lived in fear are now stepping into freedom.
In this talk, I’ll share my personal journey alongside the groundbreaking science that’s making the end of food allergies a real possibility. The future is bright, and it’s closer than we think.
About the Speaker
Eimear is a medical student, researcher, digital health strategist and founder of Allergy Act. She holds a BSc in Human Biology from Queen’s University Belfast and Postgraduate Certificate in Allergy and Clinical Immunology from University College Cork.
With over seven years of research experience, her work spans allergic disease, immunology, health tech education and food safety across institutions such as Stanford University’s SNP Center for Allergy and Asthma Research, Imperial College London, TU Dublin, Cork University Hospital, and Queen’s University Belfast. Fuelled by her lived experience with allergies, she founded Allergy Act, a community platform offering digital tools, resources, educational webinars and events to empower people with allergies. She launched Ireland’s first Allergy Retreat, bringing together global experts and patients to share evidence-based research, up to date guidance and practical support.
Representing Ireland on the European Patients’ Forum and the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations(EFA), she speaks at the European Parliament and sits on the Safefood Scientific Committee. Skilled in medical writing and science communication, she works with global healthcare brands to develop digital strategy and scale outreach, helping make complex research more accessible to diverse audiences. Recognized for her contributions to healthcare, she has been awarded with Northern Ireland Student of the Year, Healthcare Leadership Award and the Higginson Leadership Award. Eimear is passionate about combining science, design, and technology to drive digital innovation and improve the lives of those affected by allergy.
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