Annual NSW Asthma Meeting held at Centenary

Designed to highlight and provide an overview of areas of importance in research in all respiratory diseases – with a focus on COPD/emphysema, asthma, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and COVID-19 – the meeting brought together prestigious invited national and international speakers as well as post-doctoral fellows and senior PhD scholars.

Conference Committee Chair and Centenary UTS Centre for Inflammation Director, Professor Phil Hansbro said the two day meeting was highly successful.

“We heard from scientists and clinicians from some of the premier asthma and respiratory research groups in Australia. There was a real focus on sharing knowledge and exploring opportunities for new collaborations, to advance and accelerate outcomes in this critical health space.”

International keynote speakers at the meeting were Professor Reinoud Gosens from the University of Groningen (The Netherlands) and the University of Michigan’s Associate Professor Yvonne Huang (US).

Professor Gosens spoke on mechanisms that regulate structural remodelling and repair of the airways in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Associate Professor Huang presented on the role of the airway microbiome in asthma and COPD, as well as treatment responses.

Additional talks during the meeting focused on a wide range of topics that included the impact of dietary fibres on inflammation and lung disease; COPD and the gut-lung axis; long COVID; and mitochondrial dysfunction in COPD/emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis.

“I thank all meeting presenters for sharing their knowledge and also event sponsors GSK, AstraZeneca and Chiesi,” said Professor Hansbro.