Our better breathing research focuses on individuals and includes all conditions related to breathing that impair health and wellbeing. We study asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), vocal cord dysfunction, nose and upper airway disorders, sleep disorders and sleep quality, pleural disease, interstitial lung diseases, airway infections and allergies, and symptom management. Our program addresses the global disease burden caused by breathing disorders. We take an inclusive approach, addressing the whole respiratory system, including the upper, middle and lower airways and the lungs. Disorders of this system account for a large global burden, including rhinitis, asthma, chronic lung diseases from premature birth and environmental exposures. These breathing conditions cause significant quality of life impairment and are a major cause of hospitalisation and unscheduled healthcare presentations. Breathing conditions are frequently incorrectly diagnosed and treated, leading to reduced treatment response, side effects of ineffective treatments and further erroneous treatments. One in three Australians (over 7 million people) has a chronic condition affecting their breathing (Source – Australian Institute of Health and Welfare). These conditions affect the airways which include the lungs, as well as the passages that transfer air from the mouth and nose into the lungs.
