From Trials to Treatment: Clinical Research is Key to Shaping the Future of Respiratory Medicine

29 November 2024

The BTS Winter Meeting is a highlight of the respiratory professional calendar each year, providing an opportunity to disseminate cutting-edge research and clinical advancements.

Left: Professor Sir Peter Ratcliffe Right: Professor Stuart Elborn

The programme for 2024, designed by the BTS Science and Research Committee, includes a wide range of national and international expert speakers and aims to call attention to the latest advances relevant to all healthcare professionals working hard to care for patients with respiratory disease.

Yesterday, the BTS Scientific Lecture given by Professor Sir Peter Ratcliffe focused on understanding the mechanisms of oxygen sensing. Sir Peter, whose work examining how cells sense and adapt to hypoxia won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2019, shared his expertise with delegates and demonstrated his passion for fostering respiratory research. In May 2016, he was appointed Director of Clinical Research at the Francis Crick Institute, in addition to his existing roles as a member of the Ludwig Institute of Cancer Research and Director of the Target Discovery Institute at the University of Oxford.

Today, The BTS Clinical Lecture delivered by Professor Stuart Elborn focused on academic medicine and clinical trials. Professor Elborn has dedicated much of his career to researching Cystic Fibrosis, leading to major advancements in treatment, improvements in clinical care and the development of new clinical guidelines. Across his work, Professor Elborn has advocated for ways in which scientists and clinicians can be brought together to promote inter-disciplinary research, aligning with a key objective of the BTS Winter Meeting.

The landscape of respiratory health is continuously evolving, with emerging and often complex threats such as new viral strains, antibiotic-resistant infections, and the increasing prevalence of environmental pollutants posing fresh challenges. Research is critical to understanding the mechanisms of disease, developing new treatments and shaping preventive strategies and public health policies. Similarly, clinical trials play an indispensable role in translating basic scientific findings into safe and effective therapies for patients.

By strengthening professional partnerships in research and delivering initiatives like the BTS Winter Meeting, the Society aims to foster an environment where scientific innovation is closely linked with clinical practice, ensuring that research benefits reach patients as quickly and safely as possible.

On the Winter Meeting, incoming BTS President, Professor Nick Maskell said,

What an amazing BTS Winter Meeting programme we have had this year, packed full of stellar speakers who are outstanding internationally-renowned scientists and clinicians, making their mark on respiratory science and research. Once again, it has been clearly demonstrated that patients are being kept central in measures to improve patient care, right from the research stage. As always, attending the Winter Meeting has been a real treat, and I’m already looking forward to next year.