Queensland Children’s Hospital respiratory specialist and researcher Professor Anne Chang has received a $2.6 million grant to further her pioneering work improving the lung health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
The National Health and Medical Research Council investigator grant was awarded to Professor Chang through the Menzies School of Health Research, where she holds a Senior Principal Research Fellow position.
Professor Chang’s study ‘Improving children’s lung health especially for First Nations children through feasible interventions, complemented by novel discovery science’ aims to reduce the burden of poor lung health in children and young people.
“National data highlights that respiratory disorders are the most commonly reported chronic illness for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged under 35 years and the second most common cause of hospitalisation,” Professor Chang said.
“Addressing lung health conditions during childhood supports better health in youth and can help put them on track for better lung health as they enter adulthood.”
Professor Chang is recognised internationally as a leading researcher in cough, bronchiectasis and evidence-based medicine related to paediatric respiratory medicine.
Her research team was the first in the world to describe protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB) and the paradigm linking to bronchiectasis. Her work has changed clinical practice nationally and internationally and improved the management and outcomes of cough and bronchiectasis in children, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
Menzies School of Health Research is one of Australia’s leading medical research institutes dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and a leader in global and tropical research into life-threatening illnesses.