Respiratory Translational Research Group - RTRG

28/09/2026

Small airway dysfunction (SAD) is increasingly recognised as an important component of obesity-related asthma, with implications for disease severity and exacerbations. Our (Monica Lu) recent editorial in the European Respiratory Journal highlights the important role of SAD in the pathophysiology of asthma and the need to better understand and assess small airway involvement. There is an essential need to incorporate advanced lung physiology tools, such as oscillometry, into routine clinical practice. These approaches may enable earlier and more precise assessment of SAD.
Understanding the interplay between obesity, inflammation, and SAD could open new opportunities for personalised asthma care and improved patient outcomes. Importantly, the lessons we learn from SAD in asthma may also have broader implications for other respiratory diseases, including COPD and IPF. Link - https://bit.ly/4fHNNwW European Respiratory Society TSANZ - Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand Clifford Craig Health Foundation

26/08/2026

🫁 Every lung transplant journey is unique. What can we learn from patients' experiences?

Register now to join the discussion on the final day of in Barcelona about what is working, what challenges remain and how care can be improved for people before and after lung transplantation.

Chaired by ELF Chair Dimitris Kontopidis and featuring patient representatives Natalia Maeva and Stefano Pavanello, this session will bring together patients and healthcare professionals to explore the future of lung transplantation.

📅 9 September 2026
🕚 11:15–12:45 CEST
📍 Barcelona

👉 Learn more and register: https://europeanlung.org/en/get-involved/events/wednesday-special-programme-at-ers-congress-2026/

European Respiratory Society

18/08/2026

08/07/2026

16/06/2026

🎉 Calling all students and early career professionals in histology!
Want the chance to attend the National Histotechnology Conference with your ticket, flights, and accommodation fully funded? ✈️🏨
Tell us in 500 words or less what attending the conference would mean to you and your career.
📅 Entries close 20 June
📧 Submit to: [email protected]

10/06/2026

Prematurity Associated Lung Disease (PLD) has lifelong implications, and primary care plays a vital role in recognising and supporting patients across the lifespan.

This on-demand webinar explores what primary care providers need to know about PALD, with a focus on long-term lung health, holistic care, and practical strategies to support patients and families from infancy through to adulthood.

Hear from clinical experts and parents with lived experience, and gain practical insights you can apply directly in your practice.

Watch the webinar on demand 👉 https://youtu.be/6hgRJjlJyjY

The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand is proud to be a supporting partner for the FINGERPRINTS Project led by The Kids Research Institute Australia.

31/05/2026

Today is , and TSANZ stands with the World Health Organization in calling to unmask the appeal of to***co and ni****ne products.

While the to***co industry reinvents itself through flavoured vapes, ni****ne pouches and sleek marketing, it continues working behind the scenes to shape the policy debate in its favour.

In March, TSANZ made a submission to the Senate inquiry into Australia's illegal to***co crisis, which is undermining to***co control success by increasing affordability and access.

We called for stronger retail licensing, reduced retailer density, better cessation support, and no reduction in to***co excise. We also raised serious concerns after reports that Philip Morris International had addressed the Inquiry in a private hearing.

Today we restate our position: public health policy must be transparent, evidence-based and protected from to***co industry influence. The response to the illicit to***co crisis must strengthen to***co control, not weaken it to undermine decades of hard-won progress.

📢Read our media release:https://thoracic.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/250505-Secret-big-to***co-hearing-media-release.pdf
📄 Read our full submission:https://thoracic.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/62.-Thoracic-Society-of-Australia-and-New-Zealand.pdf

25/05/2026

🔔 Registration open for the TSANZ Lung Cancer & Screening Short Course!

Join us on Saturday, 15 August 2026, at the Adelaide Convention Centre for the upcoming TSANZ Lung Cancer & Screening Short Course, chaired by Prof

Developed by the TSANZ-commissioned Lung Cancer & Screening Committee and endorsed by the Education and Training Sub-Committee, the course will feature an experienced Australasian faculty and a focused program designed to support learning, discussion and educational insight.

Places will be limited to help maximise engagement and interaction! Don't miss your spot and register now here: https://tsanz.eventsair.com/lung-cancer-screening-short-course/lungcancerscreening-2026-adelaider-registration/Site/Register

👉 View more course details and the full program here: https://tsanz.eventsair.com/lung-cancer-screening-short-course

We look forward to seeing you in Adelaide!

21/05/2026

Well done Monica Lu on the recent work demonstrating increased peripheral blood inflammatory markers, including ESR and CRP levels in smokers (even with preserved lung function) and in individuals with COPD. Differences in eosinophil patterns between current and former smokers with COPD highlight inflammatory heterogeneity and reinforce the importance of personalized medicine approaches tailored to individual inflammatory profiles to improve outcomes and quality of life. We are very thankful to Clifford Craig Foundation for supporting the study!

Introduction Cigarette smoking is a major driver of airway and systemic inflammation and contributes to the development and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study compared peripheral blood inflammatory markers and immune cell profiles in smokers with and without COPD...