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Dr Gabriela Martins Costa Gomes
Dr. Martins holds an MSc in Immunology and Microbiology (2018, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, Brazil) and a PhD in Paediatrics (2022, University of Newcastle, Australia). During her PhD, she investigated how environmental and molecular factors influence cord blood composition and their impact on lung development and function. Supported by the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) Peter Phelan Paediatric Research Award 2024, Dr Martins focuses on how maternal asthma affects infant lung development, examining lung function from infancy to school age and the long-term health outcomes. Currently, she employs machine learning techniques to analyse breathing patterns in infants at risk of bronchiolitis, with the potential to improve its management. She is committed to enhancing the well-being of infants and children affected by bronchiolitis or asthma, aiming to reduce healthcare burdens and improve patient outcomes. Her research interests include understanding the impact of inflammation, infections, and environmental and molecular factors on paediatric lung and immune development. Dr Gomes is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Newcastle (School of Medicine and Public Health – Faculty of Health) and a member of the Asthma and Breathing Research Program at the Hunter Medical Research Institute. |
Asthma Australia is proud to support the careers of future asthma researchers!
This year, Dr Gabriela Martins Costa Gomes is the winner of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) / Asthma Australia Peter Van Asperen career development grant.
About the research
This Career Development Grant will provide invaluable opportunities for broader collaborations in paediatric lung research and enable the application of new methods and techniques for Dr Gomes. This research aims to address this challenge by developing a non-invasive, point-of-care test for predicting bronchiolitis risk in infants. The funding will support her work in collecting a larger dataset of lung function data, improving bronchiolitis prediction, and developing non-invasive methods for infant lung function testing. Since severe bronchiolitis in infancy is linked to asthma development and reduced lung function, this research is focussed on prevention of early-life respiratory infections, ultimately reducing asthma cases and easing the healthcare burden. These advancements could significantly influence future research and clinical practices. Ultimately, this award aims to raise the profile of her research in Australia, foster critical collaborations, and contribute to the success of her research into asthma.