It´s a very prestigious award! Warm congrats, Lena!
– Thank you so much, I feel overwhelmed. Especially now after all the difficulties with the pandemic affecting our research.
Why do you think you´re one of the winners?
– Firstly, I fit perfectly with my 45 years in the designated mid carrier age, but other than that I think the society appreciates the translational asthma research we have performed involving close clinical collaborations. More than ten years ago my research showed a dysregulated production of a major cytokine in bronchial epithelial cells from asthma patients in response to respiratory viral infections. This particular cytokine, TSLP, is now developed by big pharma as a new biological treatment target for severe asthma where roles of viral infections are very likely. I think this may exemplify the impact of our translational research, being able to point out new treatment targets.
What does it mean for you to have been awarded the Mid-Career Gold Medal in Asthma by the ERS?
– I feel proud to get this recognition which I regard as the result of much hard work by many people including several of my PhD students, Post docs and clinical collaborators.
What´s the prize?
– A diploma and 50 000 Euro for our research.
European gold medal in Respiratory Medicine awarded Professor in Lund
Europe's largest respiratory society, ERS, has awarded its winners for 2021. By doing so the society wishes to recognise the achievements of leaders in the field of respiratory medicine. The Mid-Career Gold Medal in Asthma for 2021 went to EMV´s own Lena Uller, Professor in Immunology.
The European Respiratory Society (ERS) is the largest scientific and clinical organisation in respiratory medicine in Europe. It is an international membership organisation that brings together physicians, healthcare professionals, scientists and other experts working in respiratory medicinein over 160 countries.
The ERS´ mission is to promote lung health in order to alleviate suffering from disease and drive standards for respiratory medicine globally. It promotes scientific research, provides access to high-quality educational resources and works for raising awareness of lung disease to politicians. The ERS works closely with the European Lung Foundation to extend that reach to the public and patients.
One in eight people in Europe die due to lung diseases – this means one person every minute. It includes well-known diseases like asthma and lung cancer and other less known like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which is now the third most common cause of death.
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Lena Uller is Professor in Immunology, Head of the Respiratory Immunopharmacology research unit, and Deputy Head of the Department of Experimental Medical Science at Lund University, Sweden. Extensive parts of her research build upon her discoveries of viral-induced cytokines and drug opportunities distinctly expressed in bronchial epithelium of asthma patients. She now directs a translational research programme exploring innate immune mechanisms of cultured airway structural cells in asthma, with a focus on clinical treatment effects and phenotype-dependent bronchial epithelial immunoreactivity to exacerbation triggers. This research will elucidate new molecular mechanisms to better understand the development and resolution of asthma and disease-related exacerbations.