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Dr Elizabeth Smith

Program Manager

My child is wheezing – what should I do?

Almost 50 per cent of preschool children will experience at least one episode of wheeze, a whistling sound produced by the airways during breathing.

Can a simple urine test predict asthma? New study aims to find out

The Kids Research Institute Australia researchers are investigating whether a simple urine test could predict whether young children with wheezing symptoms will go on to develop asthma.

Premmie twins defy the odds

When Samuel and James Considine were born in October 2003, perilously close to what the medical world describes as the limit of viability, each weighed just 700 grams and could fit into the palm of their father’s hand.

Determinants of lung function development from birth to age 5 years: an interrupted time series analysis of a South African birth cohort

Early life is a key period that determines long-term health. Lung development in childhood predicts lung function attained in adulthood and morbidity and mortality across the life course. We aimed to assess the effect of early-life lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) and associated risk factors on lung development from birth to school age in a South African birth cohort.

Which reference equation should we use for interpreting spirometry values for First Nations Australians? A cross-sectional study

To evaluate the suitability of the Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI)-2012 other/mixed and GLI-2022 global reference equations for evaluating the respiratory capacity of First Nations Australians. 

Transcriptomic analysis of primary nasal epithelial cells reveals altered interferon signalling in preterm birth survivors at one year of age

Many survivors of preterm birth (<37 weeks gestation) have lifelong respiratory deficits, the drivers of which remain unknown. Influencers of pathophysiological outcomes are often detectable at the gene level and pinpointing these differences can help guide targeted research and interventions. This study provides the first transcriptomic analysis of primary nasal airway epithelial cells in survivors of preterm birth at approximately 1 year of age.

Feasibility of unsedated lung MRI in young children with cystic fibrosis

Kathryn Ramsey BSc (Hons), PhD Co-Head, Foundations of Lung Disease kathryn.ramsey@thekids.org.au Co-Head, Foundations of Lung Disease Associate

The ventilatory response to hypoxia is blunted in some preterm infants during the second year of life

Preterm birth and subsequent neonatal ventilatory treatment disrupts development of the hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR). An attenuated HVR has been identified in preterm neonates, however it is unknown whether the attenuation persists into the second year of life.

Living with lung disease: experimental models to assess the long-term effects of prematurity

Laboratory models provide an important tool in helping to understand the cellular and molecular drivers of respiratory disease. Many animal models exist that model the neonatal outcomes of preterm birth.