SPIRITUS: (08-16) A Monthly update from the Respiratory Technology team at the WIMR.
This is the August 2016 newsletter from the RespiTech Group at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research. This month have seen the return of a number of RespiTech team members. Michele Pozzoli returned from Italy after spending the past few months working at the University of Parma. Yang Chen returned from her visit to the Chiesi Innovation Centre in the UK and Larissa Gomes Dos Reis returned from her visit to Evonik in Darmstadt, Germany. Welcome home! We also welcome two new members of the group this month and say goodbye to another. Carola Cravedi and Cristina Pacciana join us from the University of Torino and University of Ferrara, respectively. Cristina is working on a project in the area of epithelia tight junction modification while Carola is working on a project in the area of inhaled chemotherapy treatments for lung cancer. Also, this month we say farewell to Yiwang Xu. Yawing, a medical trainee, has been visiting the group over the past month and now returns to the University of Cambridge to complete his studies. You are always welcome back Yiwang!
Also, this month, work started on the new RespiTech offices on level 6 of the Institute. These works, mark the first phase of the construction of the new Centre for Lung Cancer Research. The team expect to move up to their new offices in September so that construction work can commence on level 3 of the Institute.
The groups research was highlighted in a Channel 9 news report this month when the links between COPD and sleep disorders were discussed and the CIRCOMED study highlighted. CIRCOMED is a collaborative clinical study between Sleep, Lung Physiology and RespiTech departments, and aims to understand how COPD and sleep disorders are inter-related. The study has already commenced and patients recruited for studies at the Institute’s clinic.
On a social side of things, members of the group participated in the Institute’s open day in celebration of National Science week. The Institute hosted 100 guests from local schools and the community, to give them an insight into the work we do in sleep and breathing research. Participants got to see how RespiTech research is conducted and had live demonstrations of 3D printing, particle engineering and other fun technologies.
RespiTech participate in National Science Week
Paul and Daniela attended the SPAM celebrations and drinks. SPAM, conceived by Prof Daniela Traini, Penny Oxford and Prof Fiona White, supports promotion of senior women academics at the University. Paul and Daniela also attended the Woolcock Board’s farewell drinks for Board member Oliver Frankel.
Towards the end of the month, Paul and Daniela attended the New Zealand MedSci conference in Nelson, NZ. Paul, an invited speaker, gave a presentation on “Innovative Devices And Therapies For Respiratory Diseases”.
Lastly, the group had one paper accepted this month. Daniela Traini had a paper accepted with Philippe Rogueda in Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine. The paper was titled “The future of inhalers: how can we improve drug delivery in asthma and COPD?”.