Children’s Respiratory Science

Respiratory exacerbations are a leading cause of death and hospitalisation in children the world over.

The factors that contribute to increased susceptibility of particular children are still largely unknown. Our team is investigating the mechanisms in children that underpin their susceptibility to acute respiratory illnesses, particularly acute wheezing so that we can predict which children will go on to have persistent disease into adulthood. The results of our research could also help to determine new treatments to reduce the severity of each exacerbation and the development of persistent disease.

We also study several other respiratory-related health problems. One is to follow healthy populations from birth into adulthood, in order to understand the normal development of the lung and immune system and how they react to environmental factors such as respiratory viruses. We also study acute HIV infection and its effects on respiratory disease. In addition, we are studying the effects of climate change on future children’s health with an emphasis on respiratory health.