PRESIDENTS
Francesco Blasi |
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Francesco Blasi, MD, FERS, is Professor of Respiratory Medicine and Head of the Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation at the University of Milan, Italy, as well as Head of Cardiothoracic Unit IRCCS Fondazione Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Milan. His research interests include the effects of atypical bacterial infection on cellular immunity in chronic bronchitis, and the role of atypical bacteria and viral infection in asthma onset. He is also interested in the role of antibiotics in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations and asthma. He is actively working on pneumonia and tuberculosis research trials. Professor Blasi has published more than 230 papers in international journals. |
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Giorgio Walter Canonica |
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Professor Giorgio Walter Canonica is Chairman of the Dept of Medical Specialties at the University Hospital S. Martino Genoa. He is also Director of the Allergy & Respiratory Diseases Clinic, Genoa University Italy a Galen Centre of Excellence. Professor Canonica initially specialised in pulmonary diseases after having received his medical degree from the University of Genoa, he then specialised in Allergy and Clinical Immunology at Florence University. Professor Canonica’s research interests include examination of the molecular events and interactions between immunocompetent cells, inflammatory cells and epithelial cells in allergic inflammation and airway remodelling. |
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CHAIRMEN |
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Stefano Centanni |
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Prof. Stefano Centanni studied medicine at the School of Medicine of the University of Milan, where he received his Medical Doctor Degree in 1979. Following an internship at the pulmonary Division of the McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada, in 1981 and a fellowship at the Pulmonary Division of the Mount Sinai Medical Center at the University of Miami, Florida, USA, in 1982, he specialized in Allergology at the University of Medicine of Pavia, Italy, in 1985. He received a PhD in Pulmonary Diseases in 1998 at the University of Milan Medical School. From 1990 to 1996 he worked as Assistant Professor of the University of Milan at the Pulmonary Division of the Maggiore Hospital, Milan, and from 1996 to 2005 as Associate Professor at the Pulmonary Division of the San Paolo Hospital, University of Milan. Since 1996 he is Chief of the Pulmonary Division of the San Paolo Hospital, Milan, and in 2005 he became full professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Milan. Professor Centanni was Italian National Delegate 2007/2009 at the ERS and FERS Italian National Delegate from 2007 until 2012 and President of SIMeR (Italian Society of Respiratory Medicine – 2009/2011). Professor Centanni is author of more than one hundred scientific publications in international journals and several book chapters and books in the field of Respiratory Medicine. |
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Johann Christian Virchow |
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J .Christian Virchow, MD, FRCP, FCCP, FAAAAI, is a Professor of Medicine and Pneumology and Head of the Departments of Pulmonary Medicine and Intensive Care Medicine in the University Medical Clinic at the University of Rostock, Germany. He is also the Medical Director of the Pulmonary Diagnostic Services and the Sleep Laboratory of the University of Rostock. He is Editor-in-Chief of RESPIRATORY MEDICINE and Visiting Professor of the China-Japan-friendship hospital in Beijing, PR China. He is a member of several medical organizations, including the American Thoracic Society, the European Respiratory Society, and the American College of Chest Physicians. Dr. Virchow serves as Associate Editor for several German journals in pulmonology and allergology and has served as an ad hoc reviewer for Chest, the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, the European Respiratory Journal and many others. He is the author or coauthor of more than 200 peer reviewed articles for journals such as JAMA, the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Chest, and European Respiratory Journal and author of several chapters for text books. He received his doctoral degree from the University of Tübingen, Germany after attending Medical School in Marburg and Giessen, Germany and Zürich, Switzerland. Dr. Virchow completed his residency in internal medicine at University Medical Clinic in Freiburg, Germany, and his fellowship in pulmonary medicine at the Department of Pneumology at the University of Freiburg, Germany under Prof. H. Matthys. His special interests are research into the mechanisms of inflammation in chronic obstructive lung diseases such as asthma and COPD as well as the treatment of these conditions. | |
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Tobias Welte |
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Professor Tobias Welte is the Head of the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover. 1978 -1985: Study of human medicine, Hannover Medical School 1985 – 88/90: Department of Internal Medicine, County Hospital Lehrte 1989: Residentialship, Massuchusetts General Hospital Boston, USA 1990-1994: Fellow, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hannover Medical School 1992: Specialist for Internal Medicine 1994: Specialist for Respiratory Medicine 1994: MD 1995: Specialist Intensive Care Medicine 2000: Habilitation for “Internal Medicine” 2002: Specialist for Infectious Disease Academic Appointments: 1994 – 2004 : Head of the Division of Respiratory Medicine and Intensive Care, University of Magdeburg 2003: Appointment C3 Professorship for Respiratory Medicine University of Magdeburg, not accepted since 2004: W3-Professorship, Head of the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hannover Medical School 2015: Appointment Professorship for Pneumology, University of Vienna, not accepted Other (selected) Professional Activities: 1994 – today: Project leader in more than thirty research projects funded by DFG, BMBF and EU Since 2001: Co-ordinating board of BMBF-competence networks PROGRESS, ASCONET and CAPNETZ as well as Chairman of CAPNETZ Foundation 2007-2011: Speaker of the BMBF funded Clinical Study Center Hannover (KS-MHH) since 2011: Member of the board of directors of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL) and director of the Hannover DZL site BREATH (Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover) since 2011: Member of the Internal Advisory Board of the German Center of Infectious Disease Research (DZIF) 2008-2010: President of the German Society of Medical Intensive Care Medicine 2009-2015: Chief Editor of the European Respiratory Monograph since 2008: Member, since 2012 Spokesman of DFG-Fachkollegium “Inflammation” 2009-2013: President of the German Sepsis Society 2012-2014 President of German Society of Pneumology Additional Information: 2014 Appointment as Fellow of the European Respiratory Society (FERS) |
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SPEAKERS |
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Stefano Aliberti |
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Stefano Aliberti is Associate Professor in Respiratory Medicine at the University of Milan, Milan, Italy. Stefano Aliberti is currently Head of the Respiratory Infections Assembly of the European Respiratory Society (ERS), co-chair of both the European Registry (EMBARC) and the Italian Registry (IRIDE) of adult patients with bronchiectasis and co-chair of the Community-Acquired Pneumonia Organization. | |
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Sergio Bonini |
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Sergio Bonini is Professor of Internal Medicine at the Second University of Naples and Research Associate at the Italian National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Translational Pharmacology, Rome. Since 2013 he is Expert-on-Secondment, Advisory Function-Senior Medical Officer at the European Medicines Agency and Member of the Scientific Committee of the Italian Embassy in London. M.D. degree at the University of Rome “La Sapienza” in 1971. Board certified in Allergology and Clinical Immunology (1972), Gastroenterology (1973) and Internal Medicine (1984). Research of Prof. Bonini has mainly focused on allergic and autoimmune diseases (Charles Blackley Awardee in 2010) as well as on the role of Nerve Growth Factor in allergic inflammation and tissue remodelling. Scientific production of Prof. Bonini includes approx. 500 publications (more than 250 indexed by ISI). H-index > 45. The most cited papers include the original description of a late-phase reaction in the eye, the first report on the potential relevance of NGF in asthma and allergic inflammation, the description of genetic and environmental factors (infections, smoking, physical activity) influencing allergy phenotypes. Prof. Bonini is President of the Italian Medical Society in Great Britain since June 2016. He is Past-President (1998-2001) of the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (Secretary General 1986-1998 and Honorary member of the Rumenian Academy of Sciences and of the Belgian, Hungarian and Argentinian Societies of Allergology and Clinical Immunology. He has been part of several international (WHO, IAACI-WAO, EAACI, AAAAI, European Medicines Agency) and national (Ministry of Health, Italian Drug Agency) expert board panels. Co-founder of Allergy, he is editorial board member and/or referee of several journals. Wide experience in congress organization. |
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Fulvio Braido |
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Prof. Fulvio Braido is Associate Professor of Allergy & Respiratory Diseases Department at the University of Genoa, Italy, where he is the Head of Respiratory Critical Care Unit and Sleep Breathing Disorders
Fulvio Braido graduated cum laude in 1993 at the School of Medicine, University of Genoa and participated to the Residence Program in Respiratory Diseases in the period 1993-1997 and in Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2002-2006 at the University of Genoa. He is investigator in clinical and experimental studies performed at the Allergy & Respiratory Diseases Department, University of Genoa, and his main research interests are represented by the physiopathological/immunological mechanisms and patient reported outcomes assessment in Rhinitis, Asthma, COPD and Sleep Apnea. Fulvio Braido has an excellent experience in clinical trials according to Good Clinical Practice. He is heavily engaged in teaching activities for the School of Medicine in Genoa, where he teaches Respiratory Diseases. |
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Chris Brightling |
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Christopher Brightling is a National Institute for Health Research Senior Investigator, former Wellcome Trust Senior Clinical Fellow, Honorary Consultant Respiratory Physician at the Institute for Lung Health, Leicester, UK. He is Clinical Interventions Theme Lead for the Leicester NIHR Respiratory Biomedical Unit and a Coordinator for the European Union Consortium AirPROM, MRC/ABPI COPD (COPDMAP) Consortium and the MRC Molecular Pathology Node EMBER.
As a well-respected expert in the immunopathogenesis of airway diseases, particularly asthma, chronic cough and COPD, his current projects include understanding the interactions between mast cells and airway smooth muscle cells in the development of the asthmatic phenotype, and migration and remodeling of airway smooth muscle in asthma and COPD. Professor Brightling has published over 260 peer-reviewed articles and has an h-index of 69 (google scholar). He has been an invited speaker at over 20 international meetings within the last 5 years. Professor Brightling is Associate Editor of the prestigious CHEST and Clinical Science journals and has contributed to updates for the American College of Chest Physicians’ Cough Guidelines, the British Thoracic Society Difficult Asthma Guidelines, the World Health Organization Severe Asthma Strategy and the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society Severe Asthma Task Force. |
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Vito Brusasco |
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Vito Brusasco, MD, FERS, is a Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Genoa, Italy. He received his medical degree and diploma in Respiratory Medicine at the University of Genoa. His educational and professional careers includes a fellowship and a position of Associate Consultant in Anaesthesiology Research at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, US. Professor Brusasco has been a member of the ATS since 1988, serving as Chair of the Program Committee (2003–2004) and then of the Planning Committee (2004–2006) of the Respiratory Structure and Function Assembly. He has been a member of the American Physiological Society since 1987, serving as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Applied Physiology (2001–2005). He has been a member of the European Respiratory Society since 1990, serving as Head of the Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology Assembly (1997–2001), Associate Editor (1992-1996) and Co-Chief Editor (2009-2012) of the European Respiratory Journal. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of COPD: Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Professor Brusasco has a long-standing interest in respiratory and exercise physiology, particularly in airway responsiveness, airway smooth muscle biology and lung mechanics. He co-chaired the ATS-ERS Task Force for Standardisation of Lung Function Testing. He has published more than 200 papers in several eminent peer-reviewed journals of respiratory medicine. | |
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Guy Brusselle |
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Professor of Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium Professor Brusselle received his medical degree in 1990 at the University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium. Investigating the functional role of cytokines in allergic asthma, he obtained his PhD in 1997. He has a keen clinical and scientific interest in asthma (including severe asthma) and COPD, and joined the Ghent University Hospital as a respiratory physician in 2002. In 2008, he became Professor of Medicine at Ghent University, teaching the courses “Study design” and “Immunopathology of airway diseases” to medical and biomedical students. He is currently head of the Laboratory for Translational Research of Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases at Ghent University. From September 2016 onwards, he will serve the European Respiratory Society (ERS) as Chair of the Science Council. | |
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Mario Cazzola |
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Mario Cazzola is Honorary Professor (Docens Turris Virgatae) of Respiratory Medicine, at the University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’, and Visiting Professor at the Sackler Institute of Pulmonary Pharmacology, GKT School of Biomedical Sciences, London, UK. He is the author or co-author of 565 scientific papers mainly focused on the use of bronchodilators in COPD. Professor Cazzola is the Editor-in-chief of Pulmonary Pharmacology & Therapeutics and of COPD – Research and Practice. Moreover, he serves as an Associate Editor of Respiratory Medicine and Respiratory Research, and is a member of the Editorial Board of Lancet Respiratory Medicine, Drugs, Respiration, COPD, International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and npj Primary Care Respiratory. He is a fellow of the European Respiratory Society and has received the 2015 ERS Lifetime Achievement Assembly Award. | |
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James D. Chalmers |
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James D. Chalmers is a Wellcome Trust Fellow, Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant at the University of Dundee. His research is focussed on respiratory infections and particularly bronchiectasis, COPD and pneumonia. He is chair of the European Bronchiectasis Registry (EMBARC), is chair of the ERS Bronchiectasis guidelines group, is associate editor of the European Respiratory Journal, serves of the international advisory board of the Lancet Respiratory Medicine, and is secretary of the European Board for Accreditation in Pneumology. | |
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Fabiano Di Marco |
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Fabiano Di Marco, pulmonologist working in Hospital San Paolo in Milan, is Associate Professor of the University of Milan. His primary research interests include lung pathophysiology, COPD, asthma, invasive and noninvasive mechanical ventilation. He has published more than 70 papers in international peer reviewed journals, and is an Associate Editor of BMC Pulmonary Medicine. | |
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Stuart J. Elborn |
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His main focus is Cystic Fibrosis focused on understanding pathophysiology of infection and inflammation and the translation of new therapies into clinical practice. This programme of work is undertaken with laboratory and clinical collaborators in QUB. This includes a significant commitment from the NICRN (Respiratory Health) where I am PI on 6 current clinical trials. I have smaller programmes with others in COPD, bronchiectasis, lung cancer including clinical trials. His research is funded by grants from government agencies, charitable bodies, industry and money raised from clinical trials. He have developed a clinical trials network for Respiratory Health funded by the Northern Ireland Research and Development Office. In all there research I endeavour to bring scientists and clinicians together to promote inter-disciplinary research. He have been successful in developing programmes of research across disciplines, hospitals and universities in Northern Ireland and across the UK and Europe. |
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Mina Gaga |
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Dr Gaga is Medical Director at Athens Chest Hospital and also heads the Asthma Center and 7th Respiratory Medicine Department of the Hospital. She is involved in clinical research, particularly in severe asthma, in medical education and advocacy and in public health. She is the author of highly cited papers and has participated/lead international task forces. She has served as ERS School Director of Learning Resources, Secretary of the European Board of Accreditation in Pneumology (EBAP) and Secretary General of the ERS. She is currently Vice-President of the ERS . | |
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Stephen Holgate |
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Stephen Holgate is Medical Research Council Clinical Professor of Immunopharmacology at the Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK. He set up a research group focused on the mechanisms of asthma. He has utilized many approaches to study this disease including epidemiology, genetics, pathology, microbiology and immunology, pharmacology and experimental medicine. This research has informed guidelines on asthma management and has identified and validated novel therapeutic targets. Notable research contributions include the role of mast cells and their mediators in asthma and allied disorders, the regulation and pharmacology of mast cells, placing inflammation at the core of asthma pathophysiology, uncovering the role of respiratory viruses, allergens and pollutants in asthma exacerbation, the discovery of defects in innate immune responses in asthmatic airways, mechanisms of airway wall remodeling and the discovery of novel asthma susceptibility genes such as ADAM33. He is a Past President of the British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and British Thoracic Society, Chairs the MRC Translational Research Group and the ERS Science Council. | |
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Ildiko Horvath |
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Ildiko Horvath, MD, DMSc is the Vice Director General at the National Koranyi Institute for TB and Pulmonology and Head of Department of Pulmonology aand a professor at the Department of Pulmonology of the Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary. Prof. Horvath is a specialist in pulmonology, board certified in public administration and holds a BSc in Health Management. She has performed successful research at the National Institutes of Health, US and at the Imperial College, London, UK and has wide scale collaboration with several research groups abroad. The focus of her research includes biomarker discovery studies for diagnosis and monitoring of airway diseases and also translational research in asthma, COPD and other chronic airway diseases. Prof. Horvath is one of the leading international experts in exhaled biomarkers. Prof. Horvath has 193 scientific publications, 12 book chapters and was a guest editor of the ERS Monograph on Exhaled biomarkers. Her citation index is 4023 and has a Hirsch-index of 32. She has received national and international awards for her scientific achievements including the International Award for Excellent Young Respiratory Scientist, Simonyi Award of Hungarian Academy of Sciencies, UNESCO-LOREAL Hungary Award for Best Female Scientists and the Koranyi Award of the Hungarian Respiratory Society. Prof. Horvath is an editorial board member of the Journal of Breath Research and the Pulmonary Pharmacology and Therapeutics together with the Hungarian Medicina Thoracalis and she serves as a reviewer on many international scientific journals including the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical care Medicine, European Respiratory Journal, Chest, Thorax, Journal of Applied Physiology and others. Major international expert panels in which she served/serves as chair or member includes Task Force on new inhalative techniques, exhaled biomarkers, bronchoprovocation testing. She has served as expert evaluator and rapporter for the EU Framework for Research since 2003 and has evaluated national research grants for several EU countries including Ireland, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic together with her home country, Hungary. From 2015 she is a member of the European Commission’s advisory board named Scientific Panel for Health. |
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Federico Lavorini |
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Federico Lavorini is Consultant in Respiratory Medicine, Pulmonology and Lung Function Unit Careggi University Hospital , Florence. 1979-84 Classic High School “N. Forteguerri”, Pistoia.
1984-91: School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Florence, Florence. Student internships: Lung Function Unit (1989-91) M.D. graduated with honours. Graduation thesis: Prostaglandin synthesis blockade by ketoprofen attenuates the respiratory and cardiovascular responses to static handgrip. 1992-96 : Postgraduated School of Pulmonary Disease, University of Florence.Board certified in Pulmonary Disease (1996). Postgraduation thesis: Large and small airway response following bronchodilator administration through different inhalation devices. 1996-2000: Ph-D. course, Applied Pathophysiology, University of Florence. Ph-D. board certified, Applied Pathophysiology, University of Florence. Ph-D thesis: Changes in the pattern of breathing during bronchoconstriction in asthmatic patients. |
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Pierluigi Paggiaro |
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(CV and COI Disclosure soon available) | |
Alberto Papi |
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Alberto Papi is Professor of Respiratory Medicine and Director of the Respiratory Disease Section of the Department of Medical Sciences at the University of Ferrara, S.Anna University Hospital, Ferrara, Italy. He is Deputy Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Ferrara. He trained in Respiratory Medicine at the University of Parma, before spending 4 years in the UK as a Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Southampton, where he is an Honorary Clinical Lecturer. His department is also home to the Research Centre on Inflammatory and Smoking-related Respiratory Diseases (CEMICEF). Professor Papi’s main area of research is airway inflammation in asthma and COPD, its molecular mechanisms and pharmacological modulation. In particular, he has an interest in the role of respiratory viral infections in stable/exacerbated obstructive lung diseases, and the underlying molecular and immunological mechanisms. Professor Papi has served as Member of the Asthma Board of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, and as Secretary of the Respiratory Infections Group of the European Respiratory Society. He is also a member of the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and the Journal of COPD. He has coordinated several pivotal studies in asthma and COPD, and has authored more than 220 articles in peer-reviewed journals. |
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Girolamo Pelaia |
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His research activity and scientific production primarily deal with the pathobiology of several respiratory disorders such as asthma, COPD, interstitial pulmonary diseases and lung cancer, and also regard the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic actions of the main drugs used for their treatments. In particular, his current studies are focusing on the role of “mitogen-activated protein kinases” in the signal transduction pathways activated by cytokines, growth factors and oxidative stress in primary cultures of human pulmonary endothelial cells, bronchial epithelial cells, lung cancer cell lines, and pulmonary fibroblasts. A major research interest concerns the activation and inhibition of these enzymes in cell death and proliferation, as well as in development and pharmacological modulation of lung inflammation and remodelling. He is also particularly interested in the recent advances referring to the biological therapies of asthma, with special regard to anti-IgE treatment, with whom he is familiar since ten years ago. he has been actively involved in many basic studies and clinical trials, among which the most relevant include: (i) “Role of signal transduction pathways activated by oxidative stress or proliferative stimuli in the development and progression of lung cancer: possible diagnostic, prognostic, therapeutic and preventive implications”, financed by a grant of the Italian Ministry for University and Scientific Research (n. 2003061034 – years 2003-2004); (ii) International study “CIGE025A2425”, financed by Novartis and aimed to evaluate the clinical effects in severe, uncontrolled allergic asthma, of the humanized anti-IgE monoclonal antibody omalizumab (years 2005-2006); (iii) A Pan-European open randomised study comparing the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of Symbicort Maintenance and Reliever Therapy – Symbicort SMART – using a maintenance dose of Symbicort 160/4.5 g, 1 or 2 inhalations twice daily in the treatment of persistent asthma – EUROSMART (D5890L00022 – years 2007-2008). He conducted clinical research according to GCP. His scientific production comprehensively includes over 100 book chapters, reviews and original articles published in both national and international, peer-reviewed journals. |
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Eva Polverino |
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Doctor of Medicine in Cardiopulmonary Pathophysiology from the University of Pisa (Italy). Specialist in respiratory medicine she is involved in the field of respiratory infections and particularly in Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP), noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) and humoral immuno-deficiencies. She investigates epidemiology, risk factors, outcome, treatment and prevention of the most relevant respiratory infections. In the field of bronchiectasis she has been investigating the microbiological causes of exacerbations (pneumonia and simple exacerbations) and the application of respiratory physiotherapy to improve airways clearance and fatigue in this chronic and debilitating disease. Despite the enormous advances in antibiotic therapy CAP is still a very prevalent disease worldwide with a considerable morbidity and mortality. Main efforts of the projects she carries on in this line of research are directed at monitoring epidemiological and clinical changes of the disease and evaluating strategies of better disease control and prevention with special attention to some risk classes of patients such as elderly and long term care facility residents (Healthcare associated pneumonia, HCAP). In the field of bronchiectasis main objectives are focused on investigation of the prevalence and outcomes of this under estimated but very frequent disease and its impact on the society. In particular the real prevalence and clinical endpoints of NCFB (i.e. quality of life, chronic expectoration) in the general population are still unclear although there are data suggesting that the disease could be as prevalent as COPD. Humoral immuno-deficiencies are part of a group of rare immunological disorders causing recurrent respiratory infections whose genetics is still barely known. In this line new therapeutic approaches are tested and several collaboration projects with other institutions are carried out to broaden our knowledge about immunological and genetic disorders possibly involved in the disease. In summary, the results of her research are aimed at investigating pathogenetic mechanisms of respiratory infections, improving their clinical outcomes and patients’ quality of life. |
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Dejan Radovanovic – Rising Star |
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Dejan Radovanovic is a fellow of the School of Respiratory Diseases of the University of Milan (Italy). His main research interests include lung mechanics, heart-lung interaction, pulmonary pharmacology and respiratory muscles. He authored and co-authored several papers on national and international peer-reviewed journals, together with book chapters and reviews. He serves as reviewer for many international peer-reviewed journals and is part of the editorial board of the Journal of Pulmonology and Respiratory Research and Global Drugs and Therapeutics. | |
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Luca Richeldi |
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Professor Luca Richeldi is Professor of Respiratory Medicine, Chair of Interstitial Lung Disease within Medicine at the University of Southampton.
Born and bred in Modena, northern Italy, Luca Richeldi obtained his MD degree from the School of Medicine of the University of Modena in 1988. During his PhD program in Rome, he developed a scientific interest in the area of interstitial lung diseases (ILD), a group comprising several acute and chronic lung disorders, characterized by a poor prognosis and the lack of effective treatments so far. Over the following years, Luca continued to be active in this field through international collaborations and participating in different studies dealing with diagnosis and treatment of ILD, with a particular interest for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the most common and most lethal among all ILD. In 2005, as Associate Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University Hospital of Modena, he founded and led the Centre for Rare Lung Disease. His research activity started with a study exploring the genetic susceptibility factors involved in the development of a rare occupational form of progressive ILD, chronic beryllium disease. This led to the publication in Science of the association between a single genetic polymorphism and the disease. The interest for fibrotic lung disorders continued with the study of the effects of pharmacologic treatments in IPF. By using the methodologies of the evidence-based medicine and the statistical tool of meta-analysis, Luca published, as leading author, two Cochrane systematic reviews, critically assessing the low level of evidence for pharmacologic treatments empirically used until then. He has also been involved in the production of evidence-based international guidelines, endorsed by all major international respiratory scientific societies, focusing on the management of patients with IPF and the classification of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. These documents form the basis for the current diagnostic and therapeutic management of patients with ILD and for the design of randomized clinical trials in this rapidly expanding area of respiratory medicine. More recently, Luca led the publication of one of the most promising phase II clinical trials in IPF, published in The New England Journal of Medicine. He also had an interest in lung infections, particularly tuberculosis. In this field he contributed to the development and the evaluation of a new generation of diagnostic tests for latent tuberculosis: these results were published as leading author in The Lancet. He is on the editorial board of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and is an associate editor for the European Respiratory Journal. Luca is member of the Fleischner Society. Appointments held
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Carlos Robalo Cordeiro |
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Carlos Robalo Cordeiro is a specialist in Pulmonology at the Coimbra University Hospital in Portugal, a position he has held since 1992, Professor of Pneumology since 1996 and Coordinator of Coimbra University Pneumology Centre since 2006. He was President of the Portuguese Society of Pulmonology between 2010 and 2015, Secretary General Elect of the European Respiratory Society in 2015 and Executive Committee member of the World Association of Sarcoidosis and other Granulomatous Disorders since 2011. He has received a number of awards during his career, including the main award Thomé Villar from the Portuguese Society of Pulmonology in 1988, 1993 and 1998, and the Morgagni Award from the Associazione Morgagni Malattie Polmonari in 2009. Carlos Robalo Cordeiro has published several papers in high impact factor journals, and is a peer reviewer and Board member of several international journals. | |
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Nicolas Roche |
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Nicolas Roche is Professor of Respiratory Medicine at Paris Descartes University, and the Department of Respiratory and Intensive Care Medicine, Cochin-Broca-Hôtel-Dieu Hospital Group, Paris, France, and a researcher at Paris Descartes University. He graduated in medicine in 1994 and obtained his PhD in 2003. His major areas of interest are chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and inhaled therapy. Professor Roche is a member of the GOLD scientific Committee and a steering committee member of the Respiratory Effectiveness Group. He participated in the development of the French guidelines on asthma and education of asthmatic adults, and coordinates the production of the French guidelines on COPD. Professor Roche has authored or co-authored more than 200 book chapters and articles in the respiratory disease arena. He is a member of the Société de Pneumologie de Langue Française, the American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society, and is past-Chief Editor of Revue des Maladies Respiratoires and Associate Editor of European Respiratory Review and The Clinical Respiratory Journal. | |
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Roberto Rodriguez-Roisin |
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Roberto Rodriguez-Roisin is Professor Emeritus of Medicine at the Universitat de Barcelona-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS in Barcelona. He received his MD (1970) and PhD degrees (1975) from Universitat de Barcelona. He trained in pulmonary medicine at the Brompton Hospital, London, UK (1973-74) and was visiting scientist at the University of California, San Diego, US (1980-82). Prof Rodriguez-Roisin’s areas of major interest are the pathophysiology and pathobiology of chronic obstructive airway diseases. He is the author, co-author, or editor of 600 publications (h index: 67), including 580 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and books and serves or has served on the editorial boards of many journals and above all: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Chest, and European Respiratory Journal. He is a current member of the GOLD Scientific Committee and of the Board of Directors (Chair). He was President of the European Respiratory Society from 1992 to 1993. He is Fellow of the ERS (FERS) since 2014. |
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Pierachille Santus |
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1994-1996: Student fellow, Institute of Lung Disease, Policlinico Hospital, University of Milan, (Director: Prof. Luigi Allegra) 1995: Student fellow, Surgery Emergency Department, General Hospital of Bergamo, Italy November 1996-2000: M.D. fellowship in Lung Disease at the Respiratory Unit, Institute of Biomedical Science San Paolo Hospital, University of Milan (Director: Prof. Stefano Centanni) December 2000-2004: Ph. D. fellowship in Molecular Medicine at the Pharmacology Laboratory, Medicine Surgery and Odontology Department, University of Milan, San Paolo Hospital (Director: Prof.ssa Anna Maria Di Giulio) Since 2001: Medical Assistant in Departmental Respiratory Unit, University of Milan at the San Paolo Hospital (Director: Prof. Stefano Centanni) Since 2008 Researcher of Respiratory Medicine at the Science of Health Department of the University of Milan Since 2009: Head of Respiratory Rehabilitation Unit at the Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri – Rehabilitation Scientific Center – IRCCS – of Milan Since 1998: collaborates in the research activity with the Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Centre for Cardiopulmonary Pharmacology of the University of Milan (Director: Prof. G. Folco and Prof. A. Sala) Since 2000: collaborates in the research activity with the Bioengineering Centre of the Politecnico University of Milan, School of Engineering (Director: Prof. Antonio Pedotti) and in collaboration with the Prof. P.T. Macklem Since 2003: active collaboration in the research activity with the Human Physiology Institute of the University of Milan(Director: Prof Edgardo D’Angelo) He is author of various papers on International peer-review journals about lung diseases, lung mechanics and phtaophysiology, pulmonary pharmacology and allergological contents. He has been involved, as principal investigators, in several trials according to ICHGCP |
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Margit Szabari – Rising Star |
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Margit Szabari is a post-doctoral research fellow at the Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. She works in Professor Melissa Suter’s pulmonary optical imaging laboratory. | |
Antonio Torres |
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Antonio Torres is Director of Institut Clínic de Pneumologia i Cirurgia Toràcica of Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (from 2000) and Senior Consultant (from 2001) and was made Associate Professor (Pulmonology), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Barcelona in 1991. He is a physician with a national and international impact and is particularly interested in pulmonary infections; pneumonia, COPD, bronchiectasia and immuno-suppressed, withdrawal of mechanical ventilation, non-invasive mechanical ventilation and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Antonio Torres published 192 reviews and guidelines. |
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Emil Wouters |
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Emiel Wouters studied medicine at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, where he graduated in 1978. He trained in internal medicine at the Annadal Hospital Maastricht, The Netherlands and at the University Hospital Leuven, Belgium. In 1981, Professor Wouters started his residency in the Department of Pulmonology at the University Hospital Maastricht and was registered as a pulmonologist in 1984. He received his PhD for his thesis entitled “Bronchial response in COPD measured by forced oscillation technique” at the same university in 1987. After his appointment to Associate Professor of Pulmonology in 1988, he became Full Professor and Chairman of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at the University Hospital Maastricht in 1992 and Chairman of the medical board of the Asthma Centre, Hornerheide, The Netherlands.
Professor Wouters is currently involved in research into inflammation and multi-component pathology of COPD. He fulfilled chairmanship of the Scientific Board of the Dutch Asthma Foundation and the European Respiratory Society scientific group “Rehabilitation and Chronic Care”. He was Chief Editor of the European Respiratory Monograph until 2005. He is Director of the Centre for Chronic Diseases at the Maastricht University Medical Centre, CEO of the Centre for Integrated Rehabilitation of Chronic Organ Failure (CIRO Horn) and Research Coordinator of the Respiratory Centre of Excellence at the Maastricht University Medical Center. He is Visiting Professor at the University of Vermont, Burlington, USA. He fulfils different memberships in scientific boards and task forces in respiratory medicine. Professor Wouters has published as a (co)author more than 650 papers in scientific journals, largely related to COPD, and over 50 book chapters. He is regularly invited to speak at international conferences and symposia. |
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Omar Usmani |
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Omar Usmani is Reader in Respiratory Medicine and Consultant Physician in Respiratory Medicine at the National Heart & Lung Institute (NHLI), Imperial College London and Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK. Dr Usmani leads the Clinical Research Group within the Airway Disease Section at NHLI. His clinical research is focussed on asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic cough, with research disciplines in inhaled drug delivery, lung imaging, small airways pathophysiology, respiratory pharmacology, and airway molecular biology. He is Vice-Chair of Drug Delivery to the Lungs (DDL), a Board member of International Society of Aerosols in Research (ISAM), and a steering committee member of the Small Airways Working Group of the World Allergy Organization (WAO). He is also Associate Editor to the journal Respiration and on the Editorial Board of COPD: Journal of the COPD Foundation. Dr Usmani was awarded a UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Career Development Fellowship (2012) to investigate the lung deposition of inhaled bronchodilator aerosols of different particle size within the airways of patients with COPD. This was the first time this award category was given to Respiratory Science research in the UK. He is currently Clinical PI of a work package lead by Imperial College on a EU Horizon 20-20 consortium project focussing on digital health and the telemonitoring of asthma patients in the home. In 2015, he was awarded one of the highest accolades in aerosol science, the Thomas T Mercer Award from the American Association of Aerosol Research (AAAR) and ISAM, recognising his international research excellence in pharmaceutical aerosols and inhalable materials. |
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Alberto Zanella |
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(CV soon available) | |
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