News and Blog

The use of prescription records alone to identify whether patients have certain diseases could lead to misleading results in medical research, according to a new UK study analysing health records from more than 400,000 patients.

A new scoping review from the Inflammation & Immunity Driver Programme has revealed that asthma is the strongest and most consistent factor behind school absences and poorer educational attainment among children and young people.

A major new study has found that corticosteroids remain one of the most widely prescribed medicines in primary care, with more than one in six adults in England receiving at least one prescription in 2023.

The Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) team in the Inflammation and Immunity Driver programme has been awarded funding through Health Data Research UK’s “From Standards to Impact” call, part of the Public Engagement in Data Research Initiative (PEDRI).

Two new international studies led by researchers from the Inflammation and Immunity Driver Programme have provided the clearest picture yet of how well new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation tools are performing in real life.

Dr Ian Sinha, consultant respiratory paediatrician at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool and Inflammation and Immunity Driver Programme member, argues that childhood is a unique window for building lifelong health—but poverty and poor housing can close it.

A new study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice found despite the promise of biologic therapies, many patients with severe asthma continue to struggle with inhaler adherence, raising important questions about how to support long-term management of the disease.

In this blog, Cedric Burden, PhD student at Swansea University, shares how a hands-on ‘Wheezy Cars’ activity helped children understand asthma at the Merthyr Tydfil Science Fair.

A new study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe has highlighted links between income inequality and asthma exacerbations in both children and adults, renewing calls for urgent policy action to address the social determinants of health.

A new study published 8th April in Thorax has provided the first comprehensive analysis of three major lung diseases—asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and interstitial lung disease (ILD)—across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland over the past two decades.

Today—May 6th 2025—is World Asthma Day, an excellent opportunity to highlight how big data and joined-up thinking can offer new hope to people with asthma and related respiratory diseases.

On Tuesday 3 June, researchers, clinicians, public contributors, and collaborators from across the UK met in Swansea for a lively and energising day of discussion at the annual in-person meeting of the HDR UK-funded Inflammation and Immunity (I&I) Driver Programme. Hosted by Swansea University, the meeting offered a rare chance for interdisciplinary partners to reflect on the past year, share emerging insights, and plot out collective goals for the future.

Today is International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a brilliant opportunity to celebrate the remarkable contributions of women scientists, statisticians, and public contributors driving innovation as part of the Inflammation and Immunity (I&I) Driver Programme.

A systematic review and meta-analysis led by researchers from the Inflammation and Immunity Driver Programme has provided fresh insights into the achievement of clinical remission in severe asthma patients treated with biologic therapies (treatments that use substances derived from living organisms).