Abstract: Patients with chronic lung diseases such as asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are susceptible to colonisation of the airway by bacteria, such as non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi). Not only can this colonisation persist but it can also increase the susceptibility of these patients to suffering from exacerbations of their underlying lung disease. This talk will highlight research investigating how NTHi can evade normal clearance mechanisms in the lungs and how this bacteria can increase susceptibility to disease exacerbations.

Biography:

Karl Staples is Professor of Respiratory Immunology & Pharmacology at the University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine and NIHR Southampton BRC Academic Career Development Lead. His research focuses on host-pathogen interactions in chronic inflammatory airways diseases, such as asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and the contribution of these interactions to exacerbations of these respiratory conditions. To study these interactions he has developed novel ex vivo models of bacterial and viral infection using human lung cells and tissue. He is the Chair of the British Association for Lung Research and an Associate Editor of the BMJ Open Respiratory Research.