Professor Helen Brough

Professional statement

Professor Helen Brough is a consultant in paediatric allergy and clinical immunology and was the head of service at the Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospital between 2015 and 2023 where she led the largest Children’s Allergy Service in the UK.

She has specific interests in food allergy prevention, diagnosis and treatment, immunotherapy, asthma, eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders and eczema. She jointly runs the joint asthma and allergy service at the Evelina London.

She co-authored two landmark studies on the prevention of food allergy, is the lead investigator for the Pronuts study (assessing peanut, sesame and tree nut allergy) and is an investigator for the oral and patch peanut desensitisation trials at the Evelina London.

She is the President of the Royal Society of Medicine Allergy and Immunology and was the chair of the Paediatric Section for the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) between 2022 to 2024. She organised the Annual National Allergy Meeting for the British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology from 2013 to 2016 and the European Allergy (EAACI) Congress in 2020. She was awarded the 2020 Distinguished Clinician Award by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the Barry Kay award for excellence in Paediatric Allergy research from the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology in 2013, and ‘Health Professional of the Year’ runner-up in 2010 by Coeliac UK.

As a parent herself, Professor Brough knows how distressing and concerned a parent can be when dealing with their child’s condition. All consultations are child-centred and we will always give you and your child enough time to fully discuss all concerns, guiding and supporting you both through treatment plans. We pride ourselves that a common thread across all our reviews is that we are thorough and take time to explain conditions and treatments with all our patients.

Sometimes, parents can find it hard to remember all the information that is discussed during their child’s consultation. So, we always follow up every appointment with a consultation letter, detailing everything that was discussed during your consultation. Our team At Children’s Allergy Doctors, we make it easy for you to select an appointment with us, and at a time that suits you. All appointments can be directly booked online, or by telephone.

We have an experienced practice manager and a medical secretary who manage the secretarial, billing and administration of my practice. From appointment booking, communicating with parents, assisting with queries, or taking payments, they are dedicated to providing an excellent, friendly service to every patient and will be able to answer any queries that you may have.

Professor Brough graduated from King’s College, Cambridge University, with double honours in medicine and Experimental Psychology, before completing her clinical training at the Royal Free and University College London Medical School. She trained in Paediatrics in South London Paediatric training rotation, and was then awarded one of the few recognised Higher Specialist Training posts in Paediatric Allergy and Immunology. Professor Brough trained in some of the UK’s leading teaching hospitals: Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospital, King’s College Hospital, and Great Ormond Street Hospital.

She is also certified by the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) as a European Paediatric Allergist. She has also completed an MSc in Allergy, gaining a distinction at the University of Southampton and was subsequently awarded a PhD in determining routes of developing peanut allergy, at King’s College London University. Clinical studies and publications: Professor Brough co-authored two landmark studies on the prevention of food allergy, and is the lead investigator for the Pronuts study (assessing peanut, sesame and tree nut allergy), and an investigator for the oral and patch peanut desensitisation trials, which are currently running at the Evelina London.

She has published multiple original research articles as well as published a textbook, Rapid Paediatrics. Professor Brough regularly presents her research; both nationally and internationally and is an honorary senior lecturer at King’s College London. She has written reviews on the active management and prevention of food allergies, dietary management of peanut allergy and risks of exposure to food in the environment in allergic patients, and is also at the forefront of research on desensitisation to nuts.