**About the Editors**

#### **Nicolette W. de Jong**

Dr. Nicolette W. de Jong is an associate professor and staff member at the department of Internal medicine, section Allergology & Clinical Immunology, ErasmusMC Rotterdam, the Netherlands. She has a background in clinical chemistry, with a specialization in immunology. She earned a PhD degree in 2004 with a thesis on Occupational and Food Allergy. During the past 20 years, she has initiated and coordinated many clinical trials, mainly focused on the diagnosis and treatment of food allergy. She is Principle Investigator (PI) of a multi-center project on cashew allergy in children with three PhD students, which was granted €1m by NWO-TTW. In 2019, she received a second grant of €1m from NWO-TTW for a project on cow's milk tolerance induction in co-operation with WUR. Since 2021, she has been PI on an NWO-TKI-PPS project (granted €1.6m) focused on the sensitizing capacities of novel nutritional proteins, together with WUR and UIPS with three PhD students. Furthermore, Nicolette is a graduated biology teacher and highly interested in (digital) education and the development of new educational programs in medicine (e-learning). She is coordinator and lecturer at the Erasmus University Center, in BSc in "Immunology and infection" and in MSc in "Clinical reasoning in Medicine". She is an associate member of the Institute of Medical Education Research (iMERR), INDANA, and NVvAKI. Internationally, she is a member of AAAAI and EAACI and a member of several EAACI Task Forces.

#### **Harry J. Wichers**

Prof. Dr. Harry J. Wichers is a biochemist/immunologist by training. He obtained his PhD degree from the University of Groningen, on the subject "Biotechnological production of pharmaceuticals via cultured plant cells". He moved in 1990 to Wageningen University and Research Centre, where he was involved in research on the biochemical characterization of quality-related parameters that determine food quality (taste, texture, and notably colour).

Currently, Harry Wichers is working on the relationship between (the digestion of) food and its components and (in particular) the gastro-intestinal immune system, including allergies. In this research, data on the immunomodulatory effects of food components, or intermediates that are formed during digestion, are integrated with data on their characteristics in raw materials and data on the impact of processing. The ultimate objective is to develop sensorily attractive foods that can contribute to maintaining a balanced and active immune system.
