School of Medicine
Phials of liquid being placed into a specialised machine

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
 

Acute infections

  • 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 
 

Chronic infection

  • 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

  • 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.

School of Medicine

University of Nottingham
Medical School
Nottingham, NG7 2UH

Contacts: Call 0115 823 0031 ext.30031 or please see our 'contact us' page for further details