Beyond Celiac was founded in 2003 as the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA). Founder and President Alice Bast envisioned a world where people with celiac disease could be quickly diagnosed, eat safely and live their lives to the fullest. Today, Alice leads Beyond Celiac in a direction no other patient advocacy group is heading: down a pathway to a cure.
Beyond Celiac puts people living with celiac disease at the core of all its work. The organization uses a patient-centered approach that is grounded in science, promotes collaboration and supports a well-rounded approach to health and wellness.
Beyond Celiac uses a variety of approaches to achieve its mission:
Beyond Celiac collaborates closely with researchers and engages with the community to identify areas where people still need help to live better, healthier lives with celiac disease. We aim our initiatives where we can have the most impact on families affected by the serious genetic autoimmune condition.
Beyond Celiac identifies common problems and implements solutions that work for problems like:
Until Beyond Celiac was formed in 2003 (then known as the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness), no celiac disease organization was actively driving diagnosis or working with the media to spread broad awareness. Seeing that the community already had support group options, Alice Bast decided to tackle advocacy and awareness issues to help people get diagnosed faster and have access to safe and affordable gluten-free food.
Opt-in to stay up-to-date on the latest news.
Yes, I want to advance research No, I'd prefer not to