Research Areas

Asbestos-related diseases are responsible for an increasing number of deaths in Australia and can take 20 – 40 years to develop.

Asthma is a common, long-term respiratory disease. It affects about 2.5 million people in Australia according to the Australian Bureau of statistics.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a group of long-term conditions that are related to the obstruction of airflow in the lungs.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-limiting genetic disorder affecting Australians today, for which there is no cure.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a rare lung disease that causes irreversible scarring of the lungs and has a very low survival rate.

Lung cancer is the fourth leading cause of death in Australia and is the world’s most lethal cancer. In healthy lungs, normal lung tissue cells reproduce and develop into healthy lung tissue.

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the pleura, the outer lining of the lung. It is caused by exposure to asbestos. It spreads widely within the pleura before symptoms appear.

Pleural effusion is when an abnormal amount of fluid accumulates between the thin layers of tissue lining the outside of the lung and the wall of the chest cavity (the pleura).

Pleural infection (empyema) within the pleural cavity is a common and an increasing clinical problem, especially in the elderly and in childhood.