Respiratory

The study of respiratory conditions in children including allergy, asthma, inflammation, infection and cystic fibrosis.

Professor Jürgen Schwarze studies immune mechanisms of viral bronchiolitis and the role of virus induced immune modulation in allergy and asthma focusing on the innate/adaptive immune interface in the lung.

Professor Schwarze and Dr Catherine McDougall share a common interest in the role of lung epithelial cells in allergy and inflammation.

Dr Stefan Unger’s research interests include the relationship between under-nutrition, immune modulation and lower respiratory tract infections in high and low income settings.

Professor Steve Cunningham is Principle Investigator (PI) for potential therapeutics for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection and has led a research team on a multicentre trial assessing the effect of supplemental oxygen on recovery from bronchiolitis.

Both Professor Cunningham and Dr Donald Urquhart are active in the field of cystic fibrosis research, including research on small molecule therapies. Professor Cunningham was PI for the UK CF gene therapy consortium multidose trial of pulmonary gene therapy.

Professors Schwarze and Cunningham are members of the Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research (AUKCAR) and NIHR Global Health Unit for Respiratory Health (RESPIRE) based in Edinburgh, with many PhD projects in respiratory disease in the UK and developing health.

Professor Cunningham has a lead role in rare pulmonary disease in children (chILD), as Chair of the European Respiratory Society Children’s Interstitial Lung Disease Clinical Research Collaboration.

Respiratory complications are also a common cause of childhood sleep problems which can affect normal growth and development.  Dr Urquhart is chair of the UK paediatric sleep videoconferencing network and is undertaking sleep related research, including studies of sleep and epilepsy.

The Scottish Paediatric Infection Group are a group of clinical researchers interested in the epidemiology and impact of infections  in children in Scotland. To find out more visit the SPIN group web page.

 

Professor Jürgen Schwarze - Researcher Profile

Dr Catherine McDougall - Researcher Profile

Dr Stefan Unger - Researcher Profile

Professor Steve Cunningham - Researcher Profile

Dr Donald Urquhart - Researcher Profile

Professor Debby Bogaert - Researcher Profile