Our Impact – Asthma Research

Our Impact

Australia has some of the world’s best researchers in asthma, and research funded by Asthma Australia has directly contributed to some of the most impactful changes worldwide in asthma knowledge and treatment.  Notably;

• The late Professor Ann Woolcock was funded in her early career at the University of Sydney in the 1970s, by the then Asthma Foundation NSW. Professor Woolcock developed world-first insights into the epidemiology of asthma, including the causative nature of allergens to asthma. She went on to found the Woolcock Institute for Medical Research, which is the leading respiratory research institute in Australia, currently employing more than 100 researchers and staff.
• Dr Euan Tovey received a research grant in 2000 to study the effect the Alternaria species of mould has on people with asthma. Dr Tovey went on to be a world leading researcher in aero-allergens and viruses affecting people with asthma.
• Dr Sandra Anderson received funding in her early career, becoming the world leader in exercise induced bronchoconstrinction, mucociliary clearance and innovative therapies. She set-up the first respiratory laboratory in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in the late 1960s, becoming a Member of the Order of Australia in 2012.
• Professor Judy Black received funding in 2000 to support her team’s work describing the role of various immune cells in asthma. Professor Black has since established herself as a world-leading researcher in the area of airway smooth muscle and previously served as the chairperson of Asthma Australia’s National Asthma Research Program.