News
Bristol research transforms Scottish infection control guidelines
Scotland is the first country in the world to use evidence gathered during the pandemic to transform its guidelines on reducing the spread of respiratory disease in healthcare settings. The new approach has been influenced by findings from a Bristol NHS Foundation Trust study. The AERATOR (Aerosolisation…
Severe asthma linked to changes in brain structure
People living with a severe form of asthma show subtle differences in the structure of their brains compared with people whose asthma is well controlled, according to new research presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The study, led by researchers from NIHR…
Researcher perspectives: Tom Lunn
Tom Lunn is a physiotherapist working at Bristol Royal Infirmary. He specialises in respiratory physiotherapy, working with critically ill patients on the Intensive Care Unit. Alongside his role at the hospital, he has been carrying out research funded through the National Institute for Health…
NIHR BRC: Bristol theme co-lead to play part in national Respiratory Transformation Partnership
We are very proud to announce that Professor James Dodd, workstream co-lead for our respiratory disease theme and North Bristol NHS Trust Respiratory Consultant, has taken up the role of national clinical lead within the recently launched …
NIHR BRC: Bristol theme leads awarded Senior Investigator status
Professor Russ Jago and Professor Nick Maskell, who both co-lead National Institute for Health and Care Research Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR BRC): Bristol themes, have been awarded Senior Investigator status by the NIHR in 2026. Now in its 19th year of appointments, NIHR Senior Investigators are among the most prominent and…
Pleural fluid cell differentiation does not accurately diagnose the cause of fluid around the lungs
Using pleural fluid cell differentiation as a test to determine the reason for fluid building up around the lungs does not provide an accurate diagnosis, according to a new study. Findings from the study, performed by a team including BRC researchers, are published in the Journal of…
Higher levels of interleukin-6 in patients with pleural infection are linked to more serious disease
Patients with a pleural infection who have higher levels of interleukin-6 in their blood or pleural fluid are likely to be more unwell than patients with lower interleukin-6 levels, a new study shows. This suggests that treatments which inhibit the activity of interleukin-6 may be useful against pleural infection. The…
How does lung function change over the course of life?
A new study has found out how people’s lung function varies over the course of life. The study, published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine, was performed by a large international collaboration including Bristol BRC researchers. How well a person’s lungs work is an important measure of…
New funding for wearable devices to detect lung disease flare-ups
Bristol BRC researchers have received funding to develop sensors and wearable devices for people living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), to alert them when they are about to have a flare-up. They will use artificial intelligence (AI) to work out when a person’s condition is likely to worsen, based…