woman smiling for headshot

Christine Olsen, M.D.

Co-Founder, Executive Chair

Education

  • M.D.
    University of Alabama
  • M.S.
    University of Alabama

Affiliations

  • Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Harvard Medical School
  • Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE)

FASI seeks to accelerate the drug discovery needed to halt this epidemic and enable children and adults living with food allergies to realize improved quality of life, one free from the constant threat of reactions that can include anaphylaxis.

Dr. Christine Olsen is co-founder and executive chair of the Food Allergy Science Initiative (FASI). She has been at the forefront of food allergy issues and related science research for decades.

Her interest in food allergies began after her son’s anaphylactic reaction to sesame at the age of 8 months. She established FASI in 2016 to bring together experts across disciplines to discover the underlying mechanisms of food allergies with the goal of unlocking the field and bringing new possibilities for diagnostics, prevention, and treatment. As executive chair she is heavily involved in guiding the science on which FASI is built, expanding our program of research, recruiting new investigators and engaging donors.

Christine is also a radiation oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School. Earlier in her career, she practiced at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Christine earned an M.D. and M.S. from the University of Alabama and completed a surgical internship and radiation oncology residency at the University of Colorado.