Institute for Respiratory Health

01/09/2026

Perth is lighting up blue this week. Keep an eye out for landmarks including several bridges around the city, marking National Asthma Awareness Week (1 to 7 September).

It's a reminder of the more than 2.8 million Australians living with asthma. Good control often comes down to having the right treatment and an up to date asthma action plan, so this week is a good time to check in with your healthcare professional about your current management.

Our researchers are also working on new ways to treat asthma earlier. Dr Sanjay Ramakrishnan's team is recruiting for HOTHOT, an international trial looking at whether early, targeted treatment can help people achieve remission from asthma.

Find out if you could be eligible for our asthma trial: https://www.respclinicaltrials.org.au/clinical-trials/asthma-study-2024ers0000238-hothot/

31/08/2026

Meet Prof Cecilia Prêle of the Institute for Respiratory Health and Murdoch University.

She leads our Tissue Repair and Fibrosis Research Group, working to understand why some people's lungs keep scarring in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and whether that process can be stopped.

Cecilia might be the one in the lab, but she says donors are part of the team too. Her research into B cells could one day help match patients with the treatment most likely to work for them.

https://www.resphealth.org.au/givingday/

On 9 September, help accelerate work like Cecilia's.

Australian Medical Research Institutes

28/08/2026

26/08/2026

Almost everyone knows someone whose life has been touched by illness. For Tony Warwick, that illness was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease with no known cause and no cure.

In 2022, doctors gave Tony a diagnosis he had never even heard of. What followed was a new medication developed through years of research, and a clinical trial he continued taking part in throughout his travels, refusing to let IPF stop the adventures he had planned.

Along the way, he found researchers who treated him like a person, not just a diagnosis.

"These relationships continue today," Tony says, "and mean that I can, in a small manner, support their vital research."

Tony's story is a reminder of why this work matters, and why your support matters too.

Early donations are open now, ahead of Medical Research Giving Day on 9 September.

Read more about Tony's story: https://www.resphealth.org.au/2026/08/for-tony-research-changed-everything/

25/08/2026

Do you have asthma?

You might qualify to join a clinical trial exploring a potential new treatment that could reduce the need for daily inhalers.

We’re looking for adults aged 18–80 who:
• Have asthma
• Are taking asthma medication
• Live in Western Australia.

Participants receive personalised care and reimbursement for travel.

Click to register:
https://www.respclinicaltrials.org.au/clinical-trials/asthma-study-2024ers0000238-hothot/

ASTHMA 2024ERS0000238 HOTHOT STUDY OUTLINE The study aims to assess dupilumab, a type of biologic medicine given as shots just under the skin. The trial aims to: • Predict who is most likely to develop high risk asthma in coming years• Prevent asthma attacks before they set in• Reduce the need...

20/08/2026

Every Australian breathes, yet more than 7.4 million of us live with a chronic respiratory condition, from asthma and COPD to lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis.

At the Institute for Respiratory Health, we believe better health starts with better research. On 9 September, be part of Australia's first Medical Research Giving Day and help us improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of respiratory disease.

You don't need a lab coat to be a Lung Hero.

Learn more: https://www.resphealth.org.au/givingday/

The Institute for Respiratory Health is a clinical research institute dedicated specifically to investigating respiratory disease.

14/08/2026

📅 Save the date! We're excited to invite you to our 2026 Public Lecture: "Asbestos in Australia Today: Risk, Research, and Future of Care"

📍 Tuesday, 1 September 2026 | 5:00–6:00 PM AWST Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands (also streaming online)

Join Dr Rick van der Zwan (Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency), Dr Zeyad Al-Ogaili (Fiona Stanley Hospital & Royal Perth Hospital) and Dr Alistair Cook (NCARD) as they share the latest on asbestos risk and prevention, molecular imaging in mesothelioma care, and cutting-edge mesothelioma research.

The event will be convened by Dr Tracy Hoang (NCARD).

Networking and refreshments from 6:00 PM.

Free event but RSVP essential: https://bit.ly/NCARDPL2026

See you there!

13/08/2026

We’re proud to share an opportunity for people living with cystic fibrosis to take part in important local research led by Dr Luke Garratt (pictured center) at the Institute for Respiratory Health .

This study is looking at biological aging in people living with CF, with the aim of understanding what future health complications may lie ahead for our community. The research could help build a clearer picture of how CF affects health over time and contribute to shaping future CF healthcare.

Importantly, the study is being overseen by eight people from the WA CF community, ensuring the experiences and priorities of people living with CF are at the heart of the research.

Participation is short but valuable. Eligible participants will attend one research visit at the Institute for Respiratory Health at QEII Medical Centre in Nedlands, where they will provide a small blood sample, equivalent to around a tablespoon of blood, and complete a survey about family history of other diseases. Participants will be reimbursed $50 for their time.

Who can take part?
• Adults aged 18 or over
• Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis
• Not currently pregnant

We love seeing research in WA that puts our community at the center and asks important questions about the future of living with CF.

If you’re eligible and interested in contributing to this research, find out more through the Institute for Respiratory Health or register at https://redcap.research.uwa.edu.au/surveys/?s=K974MWNNCX9LCHKE

10/08/2026

Save the date. On Wednesday, 9 September, more than 30 medical research institutes across Australia are joining forces for the first-ever Medical Research Giving Day.

Here at the Institute for Respiratory Health, our message is simple. You don't need a lab coat to be a Lung Hero. Donors, researchers, clinicians, trial nurses and patients all play their part in the fight against lung disease, and on 9 September, you can complete that chain.

Mark 9 September in your calendar.

Learn more: https://www.medicalresearchday.org.au/event/resphealth

07/08/2026

Josh J. had lived with asthma since he was a child, but by his early thirties it was stopping him from doing everyday things most people take for granted.

After joining the TTOCS clinical trial at the Institute for Respiratory Health, Josh's care team reviewed his medications and retrained him on the correct way to use his inhaler.

"I can do a lot more than I could before, and I feel more confident managing my condition," Josh said.

Read Josh's full story: https://www.resphealth.org.au/2026/08/perth-mans-asthma-transformed-by-clinical-trial/