Friday 7th November - 16.30 - 17.30
Airway Remodelling in Asthma: should it concern us?
Dr James Martin, Professor of Medicine, Meakins Christie Laboratories, McGill University
Dr Jim Martin graduated from UCC with a BSc degree in Physiology in 1970 and an MB, BCh in 1973. Following
an internship in St. Finbarr’s Hospital, the then principal university hospital, he went to Johns Hopkins Hospital,
Baltimore Maryland. He spent two years on the house-staff and received training in internal medicine. He moved
to McGill University on Montreal, Canada where he completed his training in respiratory diseases and he has
been there since.
He is currently a professor of medicine and has been scientific director of the Meakins Christie Laboratories for
the past 15 years. His research is focused on asthma pathophysiology and through the use of animal models
he has studied the roles of cysteinyl-leukotrienes, T cells and growth factors in the structural changes in the
airways in asthma. He was awarded a DSc. From the National University of Ireland in 2005 and he was a Walton
visiting scientist to UCC from Sept 2007 to August 2008.
What's New in PCD?
Dr Jane Lucas, Consultant Respiratory Paediatrician and Senior Lecturer in Child Health. Director of PCD Diagnostic
Service, University of Southampton, UK
Dr Jane Lucas is a Consultant Respiratory and Allergy Paediatrician at Southampton General Hospital and Senior
Lecturer in the University of Southampton Medical School. She completed her postgraduate clinical training in
Paediatrics, specialising in Allergy and Respiratory medicine in 2002, and was awarded a PhD from the University of
Southampton in 2005 ( www.som.soton.ac.uk/research/iir/members/jlucas1 ). In 2006 Dr Lucas was appointed
Director of the Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Diagnostic Service in Southampton. In 2007 she was awarded a HEFCE
Senior Lectureship.
Dr Lucas’s Respiratory Research program focuses on the following areas: 1) the epidemiology, pathophysiology
and management of PCD (www.som.soton.ac.uk/research/iir/GROUPS/respiratory/PCD ) characterisation of nitric oxide
synthesis and function in the ciliated epithelium 3) environmental influences during pregnancy and early postnatal life
that effect lung development.
Dr Lucas’s Allergy Research program focuses on the following areas: 1) the influence of maternal diet on T cell
responses and allergic outcomes in infancy 2) the extent to which allergy in childhood might be influenced by
environmental factors during pregnancy and early post-natal life 3) quality of life in children with allergies
4) factors that make proteins allergenic.
