Research Tuesdays: Breathe easier

Humans take approximately 670 million breaths in their lifetime. Despite this, the tools that monitor one of our most crucial life-sustaining organs—the lung—are in dire need of advancement.

With conditions like Cystic Fibrosis, early detection can mean the difference between life—and a lifetime of complications. But with the limitations of spirometry (the blowing tests many of us are familiar with) and CT scans, early-stage diseases in young children often go undetected, robbing them of a chance at preventative treatments.

Fortunately, a significant shift is underway, thanks to the efforts of researchers from the University of Adelaide. They've pioneered use of X-ray Velocimetry (XV), a technology that allows us not only to capture images of the lung but also to visualise its dynamic movement, assessing lung health with unmatched precision.

This novel approach, now commercialised by 4DMedical, has paved the way for individualised, targeted treatments and enhanced lung health monitoring. As XV diagnostics roll out, we stand at the precipice of a new era in lung health measurement.

Join us to learn about this disruptive breakthrough technology, its triumphs, and its promising trajectory.

The presenters

Martin Donnelley is an Associate Professor in the Adelaide Medical School at the University of Adelaide. He is the Leader of the Respiratory X-ray Imaging Laboratory and Co-Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Airway Research Group. Martin’s teams focus on X-ray imaging approaches for assessing and tracking airway and lung health, and developing effective airway gene therapies for cystic fibrosis.

Associate Professor David Parsons is Head of the Adelaide Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Group at the Robinson Institute, and an Affiliate Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Paediatrics at the University of Adelaide. He leads the Cystic Fibrosis Stream at the Children's Research Centre and is Chief Medical Scientist in the Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at the Women's and Children's Hospital. David has dedicated 25 years to eradicating Cystic Fibrosis airway disease and won multiple Service Excellence Awards for his innovations.