Ian Jarrold

People with lung conditions, like COPD and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), often experience flare-ups (also known as exacerbations). This is where their breathing and other symptoms suddenly get worse over a short period of time, often leaving them unable to breathe.

At the Royal Brompton and Harefield Trust, consultant chest physician Dr William Man and his team have taken a difficult lung test and made it as simple as breathing in and out. He’s discovered a ground-breaking new way of using sound waves to measure how well the lungs are working in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF).

Professor Clare Murray and her team at the University of Manchester have made a potentially life-changing discovery for people with asthma, in the ‘silent zone’ of the lungs. It could be the key to finding new ways to diagnose and treat asthma – and save lives.