CJ Beneduce

Christopher “CJ” Beneduce is an Associate Director at the Food Allergy Science Initiative (FASI). He works with FASI’s research team, academic investigators, specialized research organizations, and strategic partners to evaluate promising science, guide research programs, and move discoveries toward new medicines for food allergy. CJ also helps communicate FASI’s scientific progress to donors, families, and the public.

Since joining FASI in 2023, CJ has helped put the organization’s scientific strategy into practice by organizing its research portfolio and external scientific messaging around FASI’s “Three Big Questions.” CJ has also provided scientific oversight and guidance for $15 million in grants over three years, working closely with investigators to assess progress and keep projects aligned with FASI’s research priorities.

Through the Food Allergy Medicines Accelerator™ (FAMA™), CJ brings together academic laboratories and external research partners to identify and validate potential drug targets. He led four novel drug-discovery programs from initial evaluation through proof-of-concept studies, contributing to four patents and two therapeutic development programs. He also mapped the treatment landscape across food allergy and related allergic diseases and streamlined the evaluation of antibody targets. CJ also led the development of an antibody-profiling platform for an infant research cohort, work that supported an R01 grant submission.

Before joining FASI, CJ was a scientist at Momenta Pharmaceuticals, now part of Johnson & Johnson. There, he supported early research, established immunology programs, and contributed to the identification of novel drug targets. His work examined how changes in antibody structure influence immune function and how interactions between immune and supporting tissue cells contribute to autoimmune disease.