Respiratory Medicine
We undertake bench to bedside research in the major respiratory disease areas including asthma, COPD, respiratory infections, CF / bronchiectasis, interstitial and rare lung diseases as well as lung cancer.
We are tackling major questions in respiratory disease which include:
Asthma
- using biomarkers to predict the best biologic agent for individuals
- understanding the biological changes leading to airway remodelling
- predicting and phenotyping disease exacerbations
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Improving early disease recognition and biomarkers and assessing diagnosis via new routes
- Understanding the biology and physiology behind functional limitation in people with COPD
- Understanding the biological changes leading to airway changes
- Novel imaging techniques
- Impact of indoor and outdoor air pollution on the lungs and as a cause of COPD
Rare and interstitial lung diseases
- Improving diagnostic accuracy of cystic lung diseases
- Understanding and targeting lung parenchymal remodelling
- Clinical trials of repurposed therapies
- Trials of new therapies for ‘flu and COVID-19
- Vaccine surveillance and technologies to target preventative strategies for acute infections
- Respiratory sequelae and functional MRI in people recovering from COVID-19
- Recovery from acute respiratory infection and rehabilitation opportunities
- Quorum sensing biomarkers in CF and bronchiectasis
- MRI based functional assessment of lung and gut disease in CF
- New therapies for CF
- Study Opportunities
- Lung cancer screening
- Management of pulmonary nodules and role of AI
Our research
Tissue remodelling and genomics (Biodiscovery Institute)
Investigators: Hall, Sayers, Tatler, Clifford, Goodwin, Johnson
Methodology: 3D cell culture, spatial transcriptomics, transcriptomics epigenomics, in vivo modelling
Laboratory researchers based in Nottingham’s Biodiscovery Institute are investigating the underlying biology of lung parenchymal and airway diseases.
Asthma trials
Investigators: Harrison, Martin
Methodology: Large clinical trials and cohort studies
Clinical trialists perform investigator-led and pharmaceutical studies in asthma, lung fibrosis and other conditions.
COPD and rehabilitation
Investigators: Bolton
Methodology: Cohort studies, mechanistic trials, epidemiology
Translational research with studies in people with COPD and including rehabilitation interventions across lung diseases, biomarker discovery and stratified medicine.
Respiratory infection
Investigators: Barr, Lim, Grudzinska
Methods: Cohort studies, biomarker discovery, clinical trials, vaccine surveillance
The respiratory infection researchers perform platform trials for respiratory viral infections and large-scale vaccine surveillance.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Investigators: Hall, Bolton
Methods: Functional MRI, hyperpolarised Xenon, novel proton lung imaging
The MRI researchers are developing functional imaging for lung diseases including COVID-19, COPD and asthma.
Digital health and assessing inequalities
Investigators: Adejumo
Methods: Epidemiology, qualitative and clinical translational
Researchers optimising digital health in asthma and exploring inequalities in access
Lung cancer
Investigators: O'Dowd and hubbard
Methods: Epidemiology, qualitative and clinical translational
Interstitial lung disease
Investigators: Johnson, Hubbard, Saini
Methods: Epidemiology, clinical translational, biomarker discovery and trials
Study Respiratory Medicine
As a research active Centre we provide postgraduate research opportunities for clinicians and non-clinical scientists, through Doctoral Training Schemes, the Academic Foundation Scheme, Academic Clinical Fellows and Academic Clinical Lecturer programmes in addition to grant funded programmes and fellowships.
Enquiries about vacancies can be made through the group leaders and opportunities are advertised on the University webpages.