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Last month, PhD student Liam graduated from the University of Nottingham. We got in touch to find out more about how our funding through Asthma + Lung UK helped him complete his vital research into stem cell biology.

In the UK, 1 in 5 people will have a lung condition in their lifetime, and there are currently 12.7 million people living with asthma. Lung disease is prevalent and can be fatal, it is the third most common cause of death in the UK and costs the NHS more than £9 billion every year. It’s clear that this is an issue that needs to be at the top of the health agenda.

At the MCF, our values are responding to need, making a difference, and striving for excellence. By identifying lung disease as vital subject for research, we are hoping to address the need for greater understanding and treatment.

Why was Liam drawn to this field of study?

Having finished an undergraduate degree in Neuroscience, Liam was inspired to study developmental biology through the passion and enthusiasm of the late Professor Andrew Johnson. Through his teaching, Liam knew he wanted to follow his path into regenerative medicine and stem cell biology.

Liam told us that his ‘light-bulb moment’ was when he learnt about the ability to “rewind the developmental clock and turn any adult cell type back into a stem cell. These cells could then be used to help us understand human disease and be used to replace damaged or lost cells in the body”.

Our grant through Asthma + Lung UK (A+LUK) helped fund a scholarship for Liam during his PhD studies. A+LUK are a charity who are striving for a world where everyone has healthy lungs. They aim to prioritise lung health through better understanding, research, treatment, and support.

How will Liam’s research make a difference?

Liam told us that, “I hope my research will be used to better understand diseases of the human lung, such as pulmonary fibrosis, and serve as a more reproducible and replicative platform to test and evaluate the safety of drugs in humans. I hope this will lead to the development of new therapeutics to improve the lives of individuals living with lung disease.”

What’s next for Liam?

There is a real potential for Liam’s research to make a difference in the understanding and treatment of lung disease. He is continuing his research and is currently completing a post-doctoral research position at the University of Nottingham.

Liam hopes to build upon his existing work to finalise the stem cell model of the alveoli and use it to investigate human lung disease. After that, Liam plans on applying for research fellowships to establish himself as an independent investigator in stem cells and lung disease.

“The generous funding from the MCF and the award from Asthma and Lung UK allowed me to develop a novel method of lung development during my PhD and has put me in a strong position to pursue an academic career.“

A message from Liam during the project in 2021: