Airway Epithelial Research

Understanding the importance of the regulatory mechanisms involved in each of these disease processes is essential if effective prevention and therapeutic strategies are to be developed.

In addition, they are also investigating the stem cells found in the lung and are examining their role in airway healing as well as other functions to try and identify areas for therapeutic targeting. This research has the potential to translate from the laboratory bench into clinical practice in the form of cellular therapy (alone or in combination with other therapies) and is a novel practical approach to treat airway disease.

The group has successfully established and optimized a primary cell in vitro model for each of these disease settings using airway cells recovered by a safe and routinely performed method. To our knowledge, we are only one of only a handful of laboratories to be performing this in children with asthma or cystic fibrosis, and the only lab that can compare samples with age and sex matched healthy controls.

Using our unique research program the team is not only able to study mechanisms underlying particular airway diseases but has developed functional outcome tests which enable them to conduct preclinical trials of potential new drugs as well as through the repurposing of currently available medications.

Team Highlights

• Anthony Kicic- Research Star of 2018; National Scientific Leader in Pulmonology
• Luke Garratt - FutureHealth WA Merit award
• Luke Garratt- NHMRC Early career fellowship
• Thomas Iosifidis – won TSANZ Young Investigator award
• Kevin Looi – awarded travel award to attend iPSC workshop in Toronto Canada
• Kevin Looi- TSANZ Astra Zenica- thoracic fellowship, Janet Elder TSANZ award
• Thomas Iosifidis- TSANZ Janet Elder TSANZ award
• Samuel Montgomery and Kelly Martinovich – awarded CFWA Top Up scholarship
• Nicole Shaw- award PCH Foundation Top Up Award
• Samuel Montgomery & Kak-Ming Ling- awarded UWA Research Travel Award