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My research focuses understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms driving alveolar inflammation and injury in ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome), a devastating illness causing respiratory failure in the critically ill, and exploring new therapeutic interventions in clinically relevant human models, through to clinical trials.

My group’s model systems include in vitro primary human cell work, ex vivo lung tissue slice culture, ex vivo whole lung perfusion (EVLP) models and modelling alveolar inflammation in healthy volunteers by LPS inhalation. These model systems provide proof of concept of mechanisms driving inflammation, injury and repair in human lung tissue and support the progression to clinical trials. Data from these model systems have led to clinical trials in ARDS.

Clinically I work in the field of mycobacterial lung infection. The non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are an increasingly common clinical problem, driving lung tissue destruction and debility. Antibiotic regimens are highly unsatisfactory, with both poor tolerability and poor bacterial clearance. Mechanisms of virulence and host response differ from TB, but are poorly understood. My group is currently establishing models of infection, along with Dr Gunnar Schroeder, Dr Anna Krasnodembskaya and Dr Beckie Ingram to investigate these, and test new antimicrobial strategies.