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WATCH ON DEMAND: ATS 2020 highlights through an Australian lens

If you didn't manage to join us for our webinar on the highlights from the recent ATS 2020 virtual meeting, you can now watch it on demand. Watch the webinar here: ...

If you didn't manage to join us for our webinar on the highlights from the recent ATS 2020 virtual meeting,...

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Respiratory research funding is inadequate and inequitable: experts

Advocacy for respiratory research has not been successful in communicating the urgency or scale of the problem, respiratory experts say.  In a letter published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine members of the...

Advocacy for respiratory research has not been successful in communicating the urgency or scale of the problem, respiratory...
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Respiratory journal impact factors revealed

The latest medical journal impact factor rankings have been released, showing that Lancet Respiratory Medicine leads the field in respiratory medicine with an impact factor of 25.094. According to figures released in Clarivate's Journal Citation Reports, other high impact journals...

The latest medical journal impact factor rankings have been released, showing that Lancet Respiratory Medicine leads the field in respiratory...
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Consider vocal cord dysfunction as a cause of chronic cough

Patients with chronic cough refractory to medical treatment may have an underlying vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) that is amenable to speech pathology. According to a comparison of 51 patients with VCD and 39 patients with chronic cough from the John Hunter...

Patients with chronic cough refractory to medical treatment may have an underlying vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) that is amenable to...
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Diagnostic delay still a barrier to effective PAH treatment: respiratory physician

The diagnostic delay which prevents early intervention in patients with PAH is not improving over time, according to data from the Pulmonary Hypertension Society of Australia and New Zealand registry between 2004 and 2017 The evidence...

The diagnostic delay which prevents early intervention in patients with PAH is not improving over time, according to...
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Gender bias evident against females at respiratory conferences

Women have fewer active participation roles at respiratory medicine conferences than men, although Australian meetings fare better than their international counterparts, research shows. A Royal Melbourne Hospital study published in the European Respiratory Journal, analysed gender participation rates at the...

Women have fewer active participation roles at respiratory medicine conferences than men, although Australian meetings fare better than their international...
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Conservative management should be standard option for moderate-to-large pneumothorax

Conservative observational management is an acceptable alternative to interventional management for uncomplicated, moderate-to-large primary spontaneous pneumothorax, an Australian study has shown. In a study involving 316 patients with a pneumothorax (≥32% on chest radiography) at 39 hospitals, those who were...

Conservative observational management is an acceptable alternative to interventional management for uncomplicated, moderate-to-large primary spontaneous pneumothorax, an Australian study has...
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5 OSA traits identify patients suitable for oral appliances

Polysomnography can be used in people with obstructive sleep apnoea to identify five traits that predict a good response to oral appliances, research shows. The pharyngeal traits of collapsibility and muscle compensation and non-pharyngeal traits of loop gain, arousal threshold and...

Polysomnography can be used in people with obstructive sleep apnoea to identify five traits that predict a good response to...
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CPAP has independent effect on depression in CHD patients

CPAP treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) reduces depression symptoms in people cardiovascular disease independently of improvements in daytime sleepiness, an Australian study has shown. In what is claimed to be the largest trial of its type, Professor Doug McEvoy and...

CPAP treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) reduces depression symptoms in people cardiovascular disease independently of improvements in daytime sleepiness,...
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6 tips on how to be a better mentor

Specialists not only have a duty of care for patients but also for their trainees. This was the message from Melbourne-based medical oncologist Dr Ranjana Srivastava in a session on mentoring at ASCO 2019. In her presentation, Dr Srivastava said...

Specialists not only have a duty of care for patients but also for their trainees. This was the message from...
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Phone app trained to diagnose coughs

An Australian smartphone app has been shown to distinguish between the cough sounds in children with various respiratory disorders. The app was able to diagnose asthma, croup, pneumonia, lower respiratory tract disease and bronchiolitis with 81 - 97% accuracy in a...

An Australian smartphone app has been shown to distinguish between the cough sounds in children with various respiratory disorders. The app...
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ANZ vasculitis group seeks respiratory physicians

A collaborative group of clinicians, scientists and consumers interested in research, best practice care and education in vasculitis has been established. Professor Catherine Hill, director of rheumatology at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Adelaide, told the limbic that ANZ Vasculitis...

A collaborative group of clinicians, scientists and consumers interested in research, best practice care and education in vasculitis has been...
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Banish the term ‘burnout’ because it puts the blame on the individual

The term burnout should be banished from medicine because it suggests individuals are at fault, instead of placing the onus on the overstretched system that clinicians work in, a UK physician says. In his keynote address to the Royal College of...

The term burnout should be banished from medicine because it suggests individuals are at fault, instead of placing the onus...
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Professor Anne Kelso: health research faces big ethical and social challenges

New technology is opening up exciting opportunities in health and medical research but also delivering new challenges such as ethical issues, the head of the NHMRC says. Delivering the Wunderly Oration at the TSANZSRS meeting, Professor Anne Kelso called on the...

New technology is opening up exciting opportunities in health and medical research but also delivering new challenges such as ethical...
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Superheroes tackle infections at TSANZSRS 2019

The Gold Coast is famous for its theme parks, so perhaps it won’t be strange to see Super Heroes fronting up to the final event of the TSANZSRS Annual Scientific Meeting. The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) and...

The Gold Coast is famous for its theme parks, so perhaps it won’t be strange to see Super Heroes fronting...
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Clinical trial rethink needed to address unmet needs in severe asthma

A major rethink is needed on how clinical trials are conducted in severe asthma, leading respiratory physicians say. Innovation in trial design, effective partnerships with patient groups and multi-national trials consortia are urgently needed to tackle "significant and major" unmet...

A major rethink is needed on how clinical trials are conducted in severe asthma, leading respiratory physicians say. Innovation in...
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4 respiratory medicine experts in 2019 Australia Day Honours List

Four respiratory medicine clinicians have been recognised in the Australia Day 2019 Honours List. Professor Carol Armour, a respiratory pharmacologist and Executive Director of the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research in Sydney, was made a Member of the Order of Australia...

Four respiratory medicine clinicians have been recognised in the Australia Day 2019 Honours List. Professor Carol Armour, a respiratory pharmacologist and...
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Spirometry safe in patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm

Pulmonary function testing is safe in patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA), with no evidence of acute rupture of even large aneurysms or poorer outcomes following spirometry, UK research shows. Researchers from the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, led by Respiratory...

Pulmonary function testing is safe in patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA), with no evidence of acute rupture of even...
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Stem cell treatment hope for babies with chronic lung disease

The medical team behind a world-first trial aimed at treating premature babies with chronic lung disease have a Monash Health Award under their belts – and praise from the worldwide neonatal health community. But, for them, it’s all about what...

The medical team behind a world-first trial aimed at treating premature babies with chronic lung disease have a Monash Health...
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Uncontrolled asthma common in school students: survey

High rates of asthma are reported by Australian school students, among whom around two thirds have poorly controlled or uncontrolled disease. Almost 14% of students aged 10-14 years said they had current asthma, in a survey of 9663 students at 103...

High rates of asthma are reported by Australian school students, among whom around two thirds have poorly controlled or uncontrolled...
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Respiratory physician elected to Academy in recognition of medical research

Respiratory physician and asbestos disease researcher Professor Bruce Robinson is among the 37 new Fellows elected to the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences  in recognition of their outstanding contributions to health and medical research in Australia. Professor Robinson  is...

Respiratory physician and asbestos disease researcher Professor Bruce Robinson is among the 37 new Fellows elected to the Australian Academy...
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Lung complications tough to treat after stem cell transplant

Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) remains the most common late-onset, noninfectious pulmonary complication after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and an area of need for both prevention and treatment. Professor Anne Bergeron, from the Hôpital Saint-Louis in Paris, told the recent...

Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) remains the most common late-onset, noninfectious pulmonary complication after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and...
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Respiratory trials still flouting the rules

A significant proportion of respiratory clinical trials  are registered after the trial has started despite a long-standing policy on mandatory prospective trial registration, a new study shows. The study published in ERJ Express reviewed all of the randomised trials published in...

A significant proportion of respiratory clinical trials  are registered after the trial has started despite a long-standing policy on mandatory...
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Inspiratory muscle training has role in dyspnoea

Physiotherapy interventions can play a role in managing dyspnoea according to a number of recent ‘breakthrough’ studies, the ERS International Congress was told. Dr Daniel Langer, a physiotherapist from the University of Leuven, Belgium, said breathing retraining was a non-drug therapy...

Physiotherapy interventions can play a role in managing dyspnoea according to a number of recent ‘breakthrough’ studies, the ERS International...
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Why it’s time to rebut milk-mucus myth

The widely held belief that drinking milk promotes excessive mucus production in the lungs needs to be rebutted, a UK paediatric respiratory specialist says. Dr Ian Balfour-Lynn, of the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, says his department's staff are constantly told by...

The widely held belief that drinking milk promotes excessive mucus production in the lungs needs to be rebutted, a UK paediatric...
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Spirometry interpretation: still working towards clarity & consistency

Variations in spirometry interpretation between labs in Australia is leading to inconsistencies in diagnosis and management  of obstructive lung disease, a study suggests. Findings from a survey of 36 TSANZ-accredited lung function laboratories in Australia and New Zealand reveal 'substantial'...

Variations in spirometry interpretation between labs in Australia is leading to inconsistencies in diagnosis and management  of obstructive lung disease,...
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First study of lung mycobiome finds link to morbidity in bronchiectasis

The first study to characterise the pulmonary mycobiome in bronchiectasis has shown that it is distinct and that fungi, and specifically Aspergillus, appear to have a significant role in the disease. Screening for Aspergillus-associated disease should be considered, even...

The first study to characterise the pulmonary mycobiome in bronchiectasis has shown that it is distinct and that...
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“We show exactly where the air is going”: the smart lung function test

Australian technology - a 4D, X-ray fluoroscopy-based take on lung function testing - can help pinpoint regional deficits in lung function that global measures such as spirometry cannot. Presented at the ATS 2018 International Conference and with FDA approval pending, 4Dx...

Australian technology - a 4D, X-ray fluoroscopy-based take on lung function testing - can help pinpoint regional deficits in lung...
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Phage therapy makes a comeback to counteract multidrug resistance

Dr Thomas Patterson’s wife was told to expect the worst after he contracted a multidrug resistant Acinebacter baumannii infection in Egypt in 2015. Despite being flown to Germany for treatment and eventually home to the US, he had developed an uncontrolled intra-abdominal...

Dr Thomas Patterson’s wife was told to expect the worst after he contracted a multidrug resistant Acinebacter baumannii infection in Egypt...
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TSANZ: call for sarcoidosis research

A State of the Art Paper on Sarcoidosis has highlighted the need for more advocacy and research around the aetiology, prevention and management of the disease. The TSANZ resource, also summarised in the MJA, is the first update on...

A State of the Art Paper on Sarcoidosis has highlighted the need for more advocacy and research around the aetiology,...
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No weekend effect on COPD mortality

Hospital staffers have no need to feel guilty about the level of care they provide on the weekend with evidence from New South Wales that weekend admissions are not associated with increased mortality. The retrospective analysis comprised 148,722 patients admitted...

Hospital staffers have no need to feel guilty about the level of care they provide on the weekend with evidence...
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Respiratory research gets a much needed boost

An unprecedented amount of dollars will be going to fund research into respiratory diseases this year thanks to a joint initiative by the TSANZ, the Lung Foundation Australia, Cystic Fibrosis Australia and the National Asthma Council....

An unprecedented amount of dollars will be going to fund research into respiratory diseases this year thanks to...
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Respiratory disease the focus for many Australian clinical trials: report

Respiratory conditions are among the top ten study areas for clinical trials in Australia, with latest figures showing there have been 620 trials studying asthma, COPD and sleep apnoea over the last decade. In its latest report, the Australian New...

Respiratory conditions are among the top ten study areas for clinical trials in Australia, with latest figures showing there have...
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Respiratory extremes at the top of the world

How far would you go to advance respiratory science? Professor Mike Grocott, leader of the Xtreme Everest Oxygen Research Consortium and anaesthetist and the University of Southampton, UK, has been to the roof of the world and back - twice. Delegates...

How far would you go to advance respiratory science? Professor Mike Grocott, leader of the Xtreme Everest Oxygen Research Consortium...
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Promise of controversy and rarefied air at BTS Winter meeting

The British Thoracic Society Winter Meeting in London next month looks set to take delegates to new heights, as well as court some topics that its convenor says are likely to be controversial. Critical care consultant Professor Mike Grocott, from the...

The British Thoracic Society Winter Meeting in London next month looks set to take delegates to new heights, as well...
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Payments to top journal editors may undermine public trust, study says

One in two editors of top U.S medical journals are taking payments from the pharmaceutical and medical devices industry, a new study has found. The finding threatens to undermine public confidence in published research, according to the authors of the study...

One in two editors of top U.S medical journals are taking payments from the pharmaceutical and medical devices industry, a...
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Favourable survival data from PAH registry

Local data from the Pulmonary Hypertension Society of Australian and New Zealand (PHSANZ) Registry confirms that Australian patients with PAH aren’t doing too badly considering limited access to combination therapy. In a study of 220 cases of predominantly idiopathic PAH diagnosed...

Local data from the Pulmonary Hypertension Society of Australian and New Zealand (PHSANZ) Registry confirms that Australian patients with PAH...
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Why neonatal ARDS is a unique clinical entity

A specific definition for neonatal acute respiratory distress disorder (ARDS) - the Montreux definition - has been developed 50 years after ARDS was first reported in an older child. Similar to ARDS in older children and adults, neonatal ARDS is characterised...

A specific definition for neonatal acute respiratory distress disorder (ARDS) - the Montreux definition - has been developed 50 years...
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Oxygen of no benefit in suspected MI without hypoxia

Experts have recommended doing away with the routine use of supplemental oxygen in patients with suspected MI after a new study has revealed it offers no benefit in patients without hypoxia. The firmly entrenched practice has come under fire in recent...

Experts have recommended doing away with the routine use of supplemental oxygen in patients with suspected MI after a new...
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Pathology atlas maps cancer genes

A pathology atlas with an analysis of all human genes in all major cancers showing the consequence of their corresponding protein levels for overall patient survival. Published in Science, the Atlas is based on the analysis of 17 main cancer types using...

A pathology atlas with an analysis of all human genes in all major cancers showing the consequence of their corresponding...
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EPO gives no edge to serious cyclists, researchers claim

Controversial new research suggests that doping with recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) - a behaviour that has brought down many elite cyclists - may not enhance racing performance. The Dutch study published in Lancet Haematology found EPO provided a small benefit in terms of maximal...

Controversial new research suggests that doping with recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) - a behaviour that has brought down many elite...
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Bedside pleural ultrasound improves patient outcomes

An intervention focused on increasing the use of bedside pleural ultrasound and hands-on teaching of drainage techniques has been able to improve outcomes in patients with pleural effusions. The study at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital found complication rates...

An intervention focused on increasing the use of bedside pleural ultrasound and hands-on teaching of drainage techniques has been able...
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CPAP trial honoured for excellence

The Sleep Apnea Cardiovascular Endpoints (SAVE) study has been honoured with an inaugural Excellence in Trial Statistics Award. Led by the Australasian Sleep Trials Network and Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health, the study as reported in the limbic, identified that CPAP does...

The Sleep Apnea Cardiovascular Endpoints (SAVE) study has been honoured with an inaugural Excellence in Trial Statistics Award. Led by the Australasian Sleep...
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‘Research waste’ as Cochrane Reviews ignored by guidelines

Clinical guidelines relating to paediatric respiratory disease have been heavily criticised for not using the high quality evidence available in systematic reviews from the Cochrane Collaboration. The UK study published in Thorax identified 21 guidelines comprising 1,025 recommendations related to conditions such...

Clinical guidelines relating to paediatric respiratory disease have been heavily criticised for not using the high quality evidence available in...
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Cardiac rehab has issues too

The Heart Foundation’s chief medical advisor has renewed calls for a national annual audit of cardiac rehabilitation programs. Cardiologist Professor Garry Jennings says that despite the proven benefits of cardiac rehabilitation, too many patients are continuing to slip through the cracks...

The Heart Foundation’s chief medical advisor has renewed calls for a national annual audit of cardiac rehabilitation programs. Cardiologist Professor Garry...
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Lungs for Life partnership needs YOU!

TSANZ President Peter Gibson has urged members to get involved in a new joint initiative with Lung Foundation Australia that will give respiratory research the attention, and the funding, that it deserves. Through a new collaboration called Lungs for Life the...

TSANZ President Peter Gibson has urged members to get involved in a new joint initiative with Lung Foundation Australia that...
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6 reasons why consumers should be a part of your research team

Here are our take out tips from this morning's TSANZ concurrent session chaired by Hayley Haines and Dr Peter Franklin from  the Telethon Kids Institute on the reasons why all respiratory researchers should  involve consumers. 1. Funding and publication - Research funding bodies and...

Here are our take out tips from this morning's TSANZ concurrent session chaired by Hayley Haines and Dr Peter Franklin from  the...
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Every rejection cloud has a silver lining

Getting your research rejected by a journal isn’t always a bad thing according to the editors of two leading respiratory journals. At a breakfast session on Sunday morning deputy editor of The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Professor Fernando...

Getting your research rejected by a journal isn’t always a bad thing according to the editors of two leading respiratory...
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Name that lung sound

A European task force has reached a consensus on the naming of lung sounds – in 29 languages. “Auscultation of the lung remains an essential part of physical examination even though its limitations, particularly with regard to communicating subjective findings, are well...

A European task force has reached a consensus on the naming of lung sounds – in 29 languages. “Auscultation of the...
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Prestigious research grants up for grabs

One of three prestigious research grants worth €50,000 could be yours for the taking. We just jumped on to Xe.com and that equates to almost $79,000 Australian dollars. The ERS Gold Medals recognise excellence in asthma, COPD and ILD research and...

One of three prestigious research grants worth €50,000 could be yours for the taking. We just jumped on to Xe.com...
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Be an early bird: #TSANZSRS16

In 64 days, 17 hours and 7 minutes*  the who's who of respiratory medicine and research will gather in Perth for this year's Annual Scientific Meetings of The Australia and New Zealand Society of Respiratory Science and The Thoracic Society of Australia...

In 64 days, 17 hours and 7 minutes*  the who's who of respiratory medicine and research will gather in Perth for this...
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Respiratory medicine and critical care: a call for papers

The Lancet and The Lancet Respiratory Medicine are planning special issues to coincide with the 2016 American Thoracic Society Conference in San Francisco, CA, USA, on May 13–18. They are seeking high-quality submissions in any specialty...

The Lancet and The Lancet Respiratory Medicine are planning special issues to coincide with the 2016 American Thoracic...
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Pulmonary cysts part of ageing

Solitary or sporadic pulmonary cysts are part of the normal ageing process, an epidemiological overview suggests. The analysis of participants of the large Framingham Heart Study identified 7.6% pulmonary cysts from over 2,600 chest CT scans. The cysts were most likely...

Solitary or sporadic pulmonary cysts are part of the normal ageing process, an epidemiological overview suggests. The analysis of participants...
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Patient support and research top priorities says Lung Foundation Chair

Strengthening patient support across the spectrum of respiratory diseases and increasing research funding will be top priorities for newly appointed Lung Foundation Chair Professor Christine Jenkins when she takes up the position early next year. “The Lung Foundation has a very...

Strengthening patient support across the spectrum of respiratory diseases and increasing research funding will be top priorities for newly appointed...
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The Early Origins of Lung Disease: TSANZSRS2016

Breakfast with the editors, a master class on bronchial provocation testing, the challenges of running a randomised trial, and dinner with your colleagues in a Hi-Vis vest are just some of the things to look forward to at next year's TSANZSRS...

Breakfast with the editors, a master class on bronchial provocation testing, the challenges of running a randomised trial, and dinner with...
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Submit your abstract: TSANZ16

Abstract submission for the Annual Scientific Meetings of the Australia and New Zealand Society of Respiratory Science and the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand is now open. Abstracts must be submitted by 30 October 2015. Click here for...

Abstract submission for the Annual Scientific Meetings of the Australia and New Zealand Society of Respiratory Science and the Thoracic...
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Video: Personalising respiratory care

In this documentary style short film European Respiratory Society President Professor Elisabeth Bel and Professor Alvar Agusti consider whether personalised medicine and telehealth have the power to reduce the burden of chronic diseases and help contribute to the sustainability of...

In this documentary style short film European Respiratory Society President Professor Elisabeth Bel and Professor Alvar Agusti consider whether personalised...
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UK respiratory community needs to pull together: experts

A failure to come together as a community and speak as one voice may be the reason why respiratory research in the UK gets a small share of funding compared...

A failure to come together as a community and speak...
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AAS President: Science needs support to build a better Australia

A shift has occurred in the past year in the way the Australian public, politicians and business talk about science. Scientists are no longer considered to be “precious petals”. We are being taken seriously. We are being heard. At the...

A shift has occurred in the past year in the way the Australian public, politicians and business talk about science....
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MSCs have a potential role in ARDS

Mesenchymal stromal cells have the potential to become a revolutionary treatment for acute respiratory syndrome, an animal study has shown, but there are many challenges in translating the findings to clinical practice, editorialists say. The study by researchers from the University...

Mesenchymal stromal cells have the potential to become a revolutionary treatment for acute respiratory syndrome, an animal study has shown, but...
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Do you have a burning issue you want to write about?

The Lancet Respiratory Medicine is putting out a call to all budding authors working, studying, and researching on the frontline. Essays should be pieces of prose on any topic related to respiratory medicine or critical care and...

The Lancet Respiratory Medicine is putting out a call to all budding authors working, studying, and...
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Want to publish in the Lancet?

The Lancet and The Lancet Respiratory Medicine would like to hear from authors of research papers in any area of clinical research related to respiratory medicine and critical care. The two journals are planning special issues timed to...

The Lancet and The Lancet Respiratory Medicine would like to hear from authors of research papers in any...
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Many more COPD studies needed

If you're thinking about conducting research into COPD you may want to take a look at this joint statement from the American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society on the research questions that still need answering. Great strides...

If you're thinking about conducting research into COPD you may want to take a look at this joint statement...
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The darker side of peer review

The publisher BioMed Central has retracted 43 scientific papers as part of a wider investigation into fraudulent peer review. The UK based publisher had identified a number of cases last year where authors had submitted fake names or real...

The publisher BioMed Central has retracted 43 scientific papers as part of a wider investigation into fraudulent peer review. ...
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Challenge dogma, says TSANZ research medal winner

Professor Richard Beasley has been awarded this year's TSANZ research medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to respiratory research and medicine. His work on beta-agonists and mortality and the impactful nature of that research was why Richard was selected from...

Professor Richard Beasley has been awarded this year's TSANZ research medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to respiratory research...
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How to get your research published

The editors of Thorax and Respirology  have given delegates some sage advice on how to get research published. Speaking to a packed breakfast session this morning Andrew Bush and Peter Eastwood set out what they think are the most important rules...

The editors of Thorax and Respirology  have given delegates some sage advice on how to get research published. Speaking to a...