Adnan Custovic, Professor of Paediatric Allergy at Imperial College London, has worked tirelessly to build the scientific basis of clinical allergy in the UK. His extraordinary contributions have been in understanding the heterogeneity of childhood wheezing and the prevention of asthma. He pioneered the use of data-driven methodologies in the analysis of complex data, including the first use of machine learning in respiratory medicine/allergy, and has pioneered novel diagnostic approaches to peanut allergy. His work is frequently elected for media focus, and his long-standing collaborative projects in Africa and countries in transition are contributing to improvements in global health.