Respiratory and Lung

Research Group Head

The Respiratory and Lung Research Group has ongoing research in both basic and clinical science. A key aim is to translate our findings from the laboratory to patients, as well as taking patient problems to inform laboratory-based research. We welcome both basic scientists and clinicians with an interest in lung disease to work in our group.

Laboratory research projects

  1. TGF-Beta laboratory studies using in vitro and murine studies
  2. Effects of steroids in asthma/ chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These studies examine new treatments for asthma/ COPD in mouse models.
  3. Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) studies in vitro. This is an important new virus and these studies examine its activity in asthma and COPD models.
  4. Extracellular traps in health and disease (with A/Prof Paul King).

Clinical Research Projects

  1. COPD studies focus on exacerbations, diagnostic imaging, cardiac morbidities, new treatments and rehabilitation.
  2. Asthma studies evaluate severe asthma, vocal cord dysfunction and new treatments.
  3. Lung infection studies are focused on disease mechanisms in bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, COPD and pneumonia.

Our research focus

Research Group

Selected publications

  • Hiles SA, Harvey ES, McDonald VM, Peters M, Bardin P, Reynolds PN, Upham JW, Baraket M, Bhikoo Z, Bowden J, Brockway B, Chung LP, Cochrane B, Foxley G, Garrett J, Hew M, Jayaram L, Jenkins C, Katelaris C, Katsoulotos G, Koh MS, Kritikos V, Lambert M, Langton D, Rivero AL, Marks GB, Middleton PG, Nanguzgambo A, Radhakrishna N, Reddel H, Rimmer J, Southcott AM, Sutherland M, Thien F, Wark PA, Yang IA, Yap E, Gibson PG (2018)  Working while unwell: Workplace impairment in people with severe asthma. Clin Exp Allergy  Apr 20. doi: 10.1111/cea.1315

  • Bardin PG (2018) Escalating Inhaled Glucocorticoids to Prevent Asthma Exacerbations. N Engl J Med 378(10):950- 952.

  • Robertson J, Nicholls S, Bardin P, Ptasznik R, Steinfort D, Miller A (2017) Incidental Pulmonary Nodules Are Common on CT Coronary Angiogram and Have a Significant Cost Impact. Heart Lung Circ pii: S1443-9506(17)31497-X.

  • Osadnik CR, MacDonald Ml, Bardin PG (2017) The effect of smoking on exacerbation risk in eosinophilic patients with COPD. Eur Respir J 50(6). pii: 1701820.

  • Sharma R, O’Sullivan KM, Holdsworth SR, Bardin PG, King PT (2017) Visualizing Macrophage Extracellular Traps Using Confocal Microscopy. J Vis Exp (128) doi: 10.3791/56459.

  • King PT, Sharma R, O’Sullivan KM, Callaghan J, Dousha L, Thomas B, Ruwanpura S, Lim S, Farmer MW, Jennings BR, Finsterbusch M, Brooks G, Selemidis S, Anderson GP, Holdsworth SR, Bardin PG (2017) Deoxyribonuclease 1 reduces pathogenic effects of cigarette smoke exposure in the lung. Sci Rep 7(1):12128.

  • Law N, Ruane LE, Low K, Hamza K, Bardin PG (2018) Dysfunctional breathing is more frequent in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than in asthma and in health. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 247:20-23.

  • Leong P, Tran A, Rangaswamy J, Ruane LE, Fernando MW, MacDonald Ml, Lau KK, Bardin PG (2017) Expiratory central airway collapse in stable COPD and during exacerbations. Respir Res 18(1):163.

  • Bardin PG, Low K, Ruane L, Lau KK (2017) Controversies and conundrums in vocal cord dysfunction. Lancet Respir Med 5(7):546-548.

  • Bardin PG, Price D, Chanez P, Humbert M, Bourdin A (2017) Managing asthma in the era of biological therapies. Lancet Respir Med 5(5):376-378.

  • Kan-0 K, Ramirez R, MacDonald Ml, Rolph M, Rudd PA, Spann KM, Mahalingam S, Bardin PG, Thomas BJ (2017) Human Metapneumovirus Infection in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Impact of Glucocorticosteroids and Interferon. J Infect Dis 215(10):1536-1545.

  • Thomas BJ, Kan-0 K, Loveland KL, Elias JA, Bardin PG (2016) In the Shadow of Fibrosis: Innate Immune Suppression Mediated by Transforming Growth Factor. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 55(6):759-766.