The lung road to Paris

Release date: 21/04/2009

Queensland: sun, surf, sand… and world leading research into obliterative bronchiolitis?

You may not have seen it on the tourist brochure, but Queensland is leading the way when it comes to lung transplantation and pulmonary vascular research.

“Our research is highly regarded, there’s a lot of interest in what we have to say,” said Dr Peter Hopkins, Director of the Queensland Centre for Pulmonary Transplantation and Vascular Diseases, based at The Prince Charles Hospital.

This week’s International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation annual meeting in Paris will feature 12 presentations directly from The Prince Charles Hospital plus five to which the Queensland team has also contributed. It’s the biggest representation of any research group across the world.

“This is the annual meeting for all the heart and lung transplant people across the world and most of them will be there so it’s important to be represented. It’s a huge information exchange.”

The Queensland delegation includes thoracic transplant physician Dr Dan Chambers, intensive care specialist Dr John Fraser, cardiologist Dr George Javorsky, physiotherapist Helen Seale, 2008 thoracic fellow Dr Tom Daniels and transplant resident Dr Ben Tsang.

“Ben actually has a poster presentation which is a major coup for a resident. He’s a very junior doctor but he has the drive to get things done. He did some amazing work. This is his first time ever presenting at a major conference.”

The group’s presentations include:

• Better ways to treat post-transplant infection
• New methods for assessing progress after transplant
• Blood and gene tests for obliterative bronchiolitis (chronic rejection of the new lungs)
• Neurological complications post-transplant
• Comparison of lung volume reduction surgery and transplant for emphysema
• Specific bugs in the lungs possibly related to transplant rejection
• How obliterative bronchiolitis may occur
• Discovery of cells in the lung which act like stem cells

“The international connections are incredibly valuable. When you work in a specialist area of medicine, such as some of the lung conditions we research, it’s useful to know that somewhere in the world someone else may have come across a similar case and knowing who to contact can significantly help your patient,” Dr Hopkins said.

“Plus, the exposure puts us in a great position to attract the best in the world to work with us in the future.”

The Paris conference runs from Wednesday to Saturday this week.

Download the media release (pdf)

Media contact: Christine Atkinson, PR & Communications Manager on (07) 3139 6350