Research

Centre for Antibiotic Allergy and Research (CAAR)

We research better ways to diagnose and manage antibiotic allergies and severe drug reactions, so patients can safely access the most effective treatments and healthcare systems can reduce antimicrobial resistance.

About us

The Centre for Antibiotic Allergy and Research (CAAR) is a leading clinical and translational research centre. We focus on improving the diagnosis, management and prevention of antibiotic allergy and severe drug reactions.

Our mission is to improve patient outcomes and reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through safer, evidence-based antibiotic allergy care.

The centre brings together clinicians, researchers, consumers and health services. We integrate laboratory research, clinical trials, implementation science and digital health tools.

We’re tackling two of the major barriers to the optimal use of antimicrobials worldwide:

  • patients being wrongly labelled as having antibiotic allergies
  • patients having severe drug hypersensitivity reactions.

Professor Jason Trubiano leads the centre, which is embedded in the Department of Infectious Diseases.

Research focus

Our work includes:

  • assessing and testing people for antibiotic allergy
  • penicillin allergy ‘de-labelling’ (identifying patients who are not actually allergic)
  • severe cutaneous adverse reactions (serious skin reactions to medicines)
  • diagnosing drug hypersensitivity (testing for severe immune responses to medicines)
  • clinical trials
  • implementation science (using research results to change patient care)
  • pharmacogenomics and precision medicine (tailoring medicines to a patient’s genes)
  • antimicrobial stewardship and AMR reduction
  • digital health and clinical decision support tools.


The centre leads major national and international research programs designed to:

  • improve access to first-line antibiotics
  • reduce unnecessary broad-spectrum antimicrobial use
  • improve medication safety.

Clinical and research programs

Austin Health Drug and Antibiotic Allergy Service

The Drug and Antibiotic Allergy Service at Austin Health is one of Australia’s leading specialist services in the field. It assesses, tests and manages a broad range of antibiotic and drug allergies.

The service works with CAAR to bring research findings into patient care. This includes:

  • penicillin and antibiotic allergy assessment
  • direct oral challenge programs
  • antibiotic allergy skin testing
  • severe drug reaction assessment and testing
  • antibiotic allergy testing before surgery

The service provides care for patients in and out of hospital. It also supports statewide and national referral pathways.

See clinical and referral information for our Drug & Antibiotic Allergies Service.

Australasian Registry for Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions (AUS-SCAR)

AUS-SCAR is a multicentre clinical registry and biobank. It focuses on severe T-cell mediated drug reactions including:

  • Stevens–Johnson Syndrome
  • Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis
  • Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms
  • Acute Generalised Exanthematous Pustulosis

AUS-SCAR aims to improve outcomes for patients with these rare but life-threatening reactions.

The registry supports:

  • improved diagnosis and clinical care
  • collaborative research across Australia and the world
  • pharmacogenomic discovery (identifying genes that influence responses to drugs)
  • translational immunology (applying immune system research to clinical treatments)
  • clinical trials

See more about the Australasian Registry for Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions (AUS-SCAR).

International Network of Antibiotic Allergy Nations (iNAAN)

iNAAN is a global research and implementation network. It focuses on improving antibiotic allergy care through evidence-based assessment and testing programs.

iNAAN brings together hospitals and researchers from Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa, Europe and North America to:

  • deliver clinical trials in multiple centres
  • set up antibiotic allergy programs at the point of care
  • improve access to first-line antibiotics
  • reduce inappropriate use of broad-spectrum and reserve antimicrobials
  • develop implementation models that scale across different healthcare settings.

The network has contributed to world-leading studies on direct oral challenge approaches. These studies show that these challenges, where patients take small doses of an antibiotic, are safe and effective. They also show the benefits for responsible antimicrobial use and reducing resistance.

See more about the International Network of Antibiotic Allergy Nations.

Check Again Program

The Check Again Program is a statewide antibiotic allergy quality improvement initiative. It improves access to penicillin allergy assessment and testing across Victorian health services.

Its mission is for all Victorians to have access to safe, evidence-based antibiotic allergy assessment and the appropriate first-line antimicrobial therapy.

The program supports hospitals to set up penicillin allergy assessment pathways that:

  • improve access to optimal antibiotics
  • reduce unnecessary use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials
  • improve patient safety and outcomes
  • strengthen antimicrobial stewardship practices.

CAAR’s role in the program includes:

  • coordinating participating health services
  • supporting implementation and education
  • developing clinical tools and digital resources
  • facilitating data collection and evaluation
  • scaling up antibiotic allergy programs across the state.

The Check Again Network was established and coordinated by Safer Care Victoria. The program moved to Austin Health and CAAR in July 2026. We are now the central coordinating hub for the statewide network.

Research impacts

CAAR’s work has contributed to:

  • antibiotic allergy risk assessment tools that are used around the world
  • randomised clinical trials across multiple sites
  • new ways to diagnose drug reactions
  • new ways to tailor treatments to patients’ genes
  • statewide and international implementation programs
  • improved antimicrobial prescribing
  • reducing the use of reserve antibiotics when they are not needed.

We collaborate with hospitals, universities, governments and international organisations to improve clinical practice and patient care.

 

Affiliations

CAAR is hosted at Austin Health. We work in partnership with The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity.

Contact us

Phone: 03 9496 4572

Email: antibiotic.allergy@austin.org.au

Location

145 Studley Road
Heidelberg VIC 3084
Australia

Postal address

CAAR
Department of Infectious Diseases
Austin Health
PO Box 5555
Heidelberg Victoria 3084