Cezmi Akdis

Cezmi Akdis is a medical researcher in the field of immunology. He is director[1] of the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF) in Davos, Switzerland and the editor in chief of the journal Allergy.[2]

He has been a professor in University of Zürich Medical Faculty since 2006, and one of the directors[3] of the Christine Kühne-Center for Allergy Research and Education in Davos, Switzerland.

Education & Early Career

Akdis received his medical degree from Uludag University Medical Faculty, Bursa, Turkey in 1985. He has specialized in infectious disease and clinical microbiology 1991 and in immunology at Uludag University in 1994[4], and further was named a Venia Legendi (Habilitation) at the University of Zürich 2002.[5]

Academic career

Cezmi Akdis began his medical career as a General Practitioner at Gölhisar Health Center, Turkey, in 1985.[6]He completed a five-year residency in Infectious Diseases followed by two years of specialization in Immunology at Uludağ University, Bursa, Turkey, in 1987.[6] In 1993, he was appointed assistant professor at Uludağ University, Bursa.[7] Between 1993 and 1994, he worked as a research fellow at Ciba-Geigy Ltd., Allergy Research, Basel, Switzerland.[7] From 1994, he joined the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF) in Davos, Switzerland, first as a Research Fellow and from 1998 as Group Leader. He received his “Venia Legendi” (Habilitation) from the University of Zurich Medical Faculty in 2002.[5] In 2006, he was appointed Extraordinarius Professor at the University of Zurich Medical Faculty, with promotion rights in 2008 from the Science Faculty.[1] He became Ordinarius Professor at the University of Zurich Medical Faculty in 2013.[8][1]

Academic history

  • President of the European Academy of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (14,000 members) between 2011 and 2013[9]
  • Executive committee member between 2003 and 2015 and vice president between 2007 and 2011[10]
  • Directorium member, CK-CARE Davos 2009[3]
  • Senate member of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences, 2014[11]
  • Editor of three Global Atlases. Allergy, Asthma, and Allergic Rhinitis and Chronic Rhinosinusitis[8][12]
  • Associate editor 2007-2015 Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology[10][13]
  • Co-editor-in-chief 2015-2018 Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology[10][13]
  • Board member of Academia Raetica, Canton GR, since 2016[6]
  • Board member, SRISM Davos 2018[10]
  • Editor-in-chief of Allergy 2018–present[14]

Publications

Akdis has published more than 750 peer-reviewed articles in the fields of allergy and immunology. His current h-index is 169. He has also been recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate (formerly Thomson Reuters)[15], reflecting his significant impact in the field of immunology.[8]

Scientific Achievements

In all below listed original first time reported major scientific achievements Dr. Akdis was the first or senior author of the study.

  • Demonstration of immune regulation and allergen tolerance: Plasticity of antigen/allergen-specific T cells, 1996 Journal of Clinical Investigation. This study for the first time demonstrates switch between antigen-specific human T cell subsets and brings the concept of allergen-specific T cell plasticity.[16]
  • Demonstration of human T and B regulatory cells, 1998 Journal of Clinical Investigation. This study for the first time demonstrates human regulatory T and B cells in vivo during venom allergen tolerance in beekeepers and be venom immunotherapy.[17]
  • Immune suppressive role of histamine receptor 2 and counter regulation of T cells subsets by histamine receptor 1 and 2.[18]
  • Mechanisms of eczema in atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis and epithelial barrier damage by immune inflammatory response.[19]
  • Demonstration of human in vivo antigen-specific Treg cell vs Th2 cell balance.[20]
  • In vivo human allergen tolerance model (bee venom and beekeepers) and human Treg cells, 2008 Journal of Experimental Medicine.[21]
  • Demonstration of transcriptional regulation of Foxp3 by RUNX 1 and 3.[22]
  • Demonstration of human Type 2 NK cell subset, 2002, European Journal of Immunology.[23]
  • Mechanisms of epithelial barrier defect in asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis, 2003 - 2009, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.[24][25]
  • Demonstration of human regulatory NK Cells, 2008 Journal of Immunology.[26]
  • First studies mentioning endotypes of asthma and other allergic inflammatory diseases.[27][28][29][30]
  • Demonstration of human regulatory innate lymphoid cells.[31]
  • More than 50 European Guideline articles and Position papers (Food Allergy, Allergen Immunotherapy, Biologicals, Environmental Influence in our discipline, including the leadership, organization and publication the first European Guideline in the area of Food Allergy. [32]
  • Basis for “Epithelial barrier hypothesis” for the development of allergic and autoimmune disease, 2000-2025, More than 40 original research articles.[19][33][34][35]
  • More than 40, first time published COVID-19 articles, focused on mechanisms, allergy patient care during COVID-19 and severity, including the first cases of human to human infection of 140 subjects published in 19 February 2020, before the cases started in Europe.[36][37]

Invention and development of a device for skin barrier detection: Early studies on epithelial barrier ended up with the development of a skin impedancemeter device called NaviSense from SciBase Sweden for allergic and inflammatory skin disease. First prototype was developed together with CSEM Landquart in 2013. Clinical validation studies are published by SIAF. Currently available for clinical usage, FDA certified, a new version that detects skin barrier in 1 second has been recently developed.[38][39]

Development of the Epithelial Barrier Theory: This theory explains reasons for the development and increased prevalence of many chronic non-communicable diseases, such as allergic, autoimmune, metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. There has been a steep rise in these diseases, reaching epidemic proportions and now affecting almost two billions of humans. Intact skin and mucosal barriers are crucial for the maintenance of tissue homeostasis as they protect host tissues from infections, environmental toxins, pollutants and allergens.[34] A defective epithelial barrier has been demonstrated in allergic and autoimmune conditions such as asthma, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, eosinophilic esophagitis, celiac disease, and inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, leakiness of the gut epithelium is also implicated in systemic autoimmune and metabolic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, and autoimmune hepatitis. Finally, distant inflammatory responses due to a ‘leaky gut’ and microbiome changes are suspected in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, chronic depression and autism spectrum disorders. These diseases are more common in industrialized countries and their prevalence continues to rise in developing countries in parallel to urbanization and industrialization.[34] Akdis group has introduced the “epithelial barrier theory”, which proposes that the rise in epithelial barrier damaging agents linked to industrialization, urbanization and modern life underlies the rise in allergic, autoimmune and other chronic conditions and has an influence on microbes and other animals in the nature. [34]

The barrier theory suggests a need for avoidance of the environmental cues, and warrants further studies on safe levels of exposure to potentially harmful substances, such as inhaled and ingested detergents, ingestion of processed foods containing emulsifiers, exposure to particulate matter, diesel exhaust, microplastics, and certain nanoparticles. As Paracelsus said in 1493, “sola dosis facit venenum”, translating to all substances are poisons, everything has the potential to become toxic, it merely depends on the dose. [34]

Honors

  • Ferdinand Wortman Prize, 1996[40]
  • Hoechst Marion Roussel Award, 1998[13][10]
  • Professor Hans Storck Award, 1998[41]
  • Dr.-Karl Heyer-Preis, 1998 [13][41]
  • Sedat Simavi Medicine Award, 1998[41][10]
  • Allergopharma Award, 2001[10][42]
  • Turkish Science Association, TUBITAK Exclusive Award,2007[10][13][42]
  • European Allergy Research “Gold Medal”, 2004[13][41][10]
  • BUSIAD Award, 2012[13][10]
  • American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) Elliot Middleton Memorial Lecture, 2014[43]
  • European Federation of Immunology Societies, World Immunology Day Lecture, 2014[10]
  • European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2016 Paul Ehrlich Award.[44][45]
  • Swiss Society of Allergy Immunology honorary membership, 2017[13]
  • Honorary member of the Swiss Society of Allergy Immunology (SGAI-SSAI), 2018[13]
  • Honorary member, Fellow of European Academy of Allergy Clinical Immunology (EAACI), 2018[8]
  • Honorary Professor in Capital Medical University, National Tongren Hospital, Beijing Institute of Otolaryngologology, China[13]
  • Canton of Grissons Cantonal Recognition Prize, 2020[46]
  • Harold Nelson Memorial Lecture (AAAAI), 2021[47]
  • Erich Fuchs Prize (German Allergy Association), 2021[48]
  • Honorary Professor, Bursa-Uludag University, 2021[49]
  • Asia Pacific Allergy Clinical immunology Society, Life-time achievement award, 2022[50]
  • Honorary Professor, Harvard University, 2023[51][50]
  • Cezmi Akdis Prize Given by the EAACI to Young Scientists, 2025[52]

Conference / Congress Organizations

  • Founder and organizer of World Immune Regulation Meetings, Davos[53][1]
  • Founder and organizer of the first EAACI Immunology Winter Schools, 2001[8]
  • Congress President EAACI Congress 2012 Geneva, EAACI/WAO (World Allergy Congress) 2013 Milan[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "International Eczema Council" (PDF). Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  2. ^ "Allergy". Wikipedia. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  3. ^ a b "Organisation". CK Care. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  4. ^ "About Us". Academia Raetica. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  5. ^ a b "Universität Zürich Jahresbericht 2002" (PDF). Universität Zürich Jahresbericht 2002. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  6. ^ a b c "Academia Raetica". Academia Raetica. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  7. ^ a b "Bursa Anadolu Lisesi Mezunlar Derneği". Bursa Anadolu Lisesi Mezunlar Derneği. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Cezmi Akdis Prize". Cezmi Akdis Prize. European Academy of Allergy & Clinical Immunology. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  9. ^ "Imagination in Action". Imagination in Action. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Swiss Research Institute for Sports Medicine". Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  11. ^ "Senate". SAMWASSM. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  12. ^ "Global Atlas of Allergic Rhinitis and Chronic Rhinosinusitis" (PDF). Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Who are We". Journal Allergy. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  14. ^ "Allergy Editorial Board". Wiley Online Library. doi:10.1111/(ISSN)1398-9995. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  15. ^ "Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher". Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  16. ^ Akdis, Cezmi. "Epitope-specific T Cell Tolerance to Phospholipase A2 in Bee Venom Immunotherapy and Recovery by IL-2 and IL-15 In Vitro". J Clin Invest: 1676–1683.
  17. ^ Akdis, Cezmi. "Role of interleukin 10 in specific immunotherapy". J Clin Invest.: 98–102.
  18. ^ Jutel, Marek. "Histamine regulates T-cell and antibody responses by differential expression of H1 and H2 receptors". Nature: 420–425.
  19. ^ a b Trautmann, A. "T cell–mediated Fas-induced keratinocyte apoptosis plays a key pathogenetic role in eczematous dermatitis". J Clin Invest. 106 (1): 25–35.
  20. ^ Akdis, M. "Immune responses in healthy and allergic individuals are characterized by a fine balance between allergen-specific T regulatory 1 and T helper 2 cells". J Exp Med. 199 (11): 1567–1575.
  21. ^ Meiler, F. "In vivo switch to IL-10-secreting T regulatory cells in high dose allergen exposure". J Exp Med. 205 (12): 2887–2898.
  22. ^ Klunker, S. "Transcription factors RUNX1 and RUNX3 in the induction and suppressive function of Foxp3+ inducible regulatory T cells". J Exp Med. 206 (12): 2701–2715.
  23. ^ Deniz, G. "Human NK1 and NK2 subsets determined by purification of IFN-γ-secreting and IFN-γ-nonsecreting NK cells". European Journal of Immunology. 32 (3).
  24. ^ Trautmann, A. "T cells and eosinophils cooperate in the induction of bronchial epithelial cell apoptosis in asthma". J Allergy Clin Immunol. 109 (2): 329–337.
  25. ^ Basinski, T.M. "Dual nature of T cell-epithelium interaction in chronic rhinosinusitis". J Allergy Clin Immunol. 124 (1): 74-80 e71-78.
  26. ^ Deniz, G. "Regulatory NK cells suppress antigen-specific T cell responses". J Immunol. 180 (2): 850–857.
  27. ^ Agache, I. "Precision medicine and phenotypes, endotypes, genotypes, regiotypes, and theratypes of allergic diseases". J Clin Invest. 129 (4): 1493–1503.
  28. ^ Agache, I. "Untangling asthma phenotypes and endotypes". Allergy. 67 (7): 835–846.
  29. ^ Lotvall, J. "Asthma endotypes: a new approach to classification of disease entities within the asthma syndrome". J Allergy Clin Immunol. 127 (2): 355–360.
  30. ^ Akdis, C. "Endotypes and phenotypes of chronic rhinosinusitis: a PRACTALL document of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology". J Allergy Clin Immunol. 131 (6): 1479–1490.
  31. ^ Morita, H. "Induction of human regulatory innate lymphoid cells from group 2 innate lymphoid cells by retinoic acid". J Allergy Clin Immunol. 143 (6): 2190-2201 e2199.
  32. ^ "Guidelines". EAACI Knowledge Hub. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  33. ^ Akdis, C. "Allergy and hypersensitivity: Mechanisms of allergic disease". Current Opinion in Immunology. 18 (6): 718–726.
  34. ^ a b c d e Akdis, C. "Does the epithelial barrier hypothesis explain the increase in allergy, autoimmunity and other chronic conditions?". Nat Rev Immunol. 21 (11): 739–751.
  35. ^ Sun, N. "The epithelial barrier theory and its associated diseases". Allergy. 79 (12): 3192–3237.
  36. ^ Zhang, J. "Clinical characteristics of 140 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan, China". Allergy. 75 (7): 1730–1741.
  37. ^ Gao, YD. "Risk factors for severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients: A review". Allergy. 76 (2): 428–455.
  38. ^ Rinaldi, AO. "Direct assessment of skin epithelial barrier by electrical impedance spectroscopy". Allergy. 74 (10): 1934–1944.
  39. ^ Rinaldi, AO. "Electrical impedance spectroscopy for the characterization of skin barrier in atopic dermatitis". Allergy. 76 (10): 3066–3079.
  40. ^ "Tip Dallari Tarihcesi" (PDF). Tip-Dallari-Tarihcesi. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  41. ^ a b c d "The Elliott Middleton Memorial Lectureship" (PDF).
  42. ^ a b "Scientific Advisory Board" (PDF).
  43. ^ "News-Ck-care".
  44. ^ Kostaras, Charalampos. "EAACI Awards Winners 2016 | EAACI.org". www.eaaci.org. Archived from the original on 2020-02-29. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
  45. ^ "Paul Ehrlich Award to Cezmi Akdis". CK Care. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  46. ^ "Awards presented by the Canton of Graubünden". Academia Raetica.
  47. ^ "Curriculum vitae Akdis, Cezmi A. Prof. Dr. med" (PDF). 18. Uludağ İç Hastalıkları Ulusal Kış Kongresi. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  48. ^ "Prof. Dr. Cezmi Akdis vom SIAF ist Träger des Erich Fuchs-Preises" (PDF). Academia Raetica. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  49. ^ "BUÜ Tıp Fakültesi'nden akademisyen çifte fahri profesörlük". Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  50. ^ a b "ANNUAL REPORT 2023" (PDF). Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  51. ^ "EAACI Congress 2025". EAACI. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  52. ^ "Cezmi Akdis Prize".
  53. ^ "Scientific Committee". WIRM. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
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