The European Respiratory Society is a leading international organisation with more than 35,000 members from over 160 countries, working to improve lung health through research, education, and clinical practice. The award is presented to senior researchers who have made long-term, significant contributions to respiratory research and who have helped bridge the path from basic discoveries to clinical application. It was awarded at the European Lung Conference in Amsterdam on 27 September.
Congratulations, Gunilla! What was your reaction when you learned you would receive the ERS Lifetime Achievement Award?
"I feel deeply honored and truly moved to receive the ERS Lifetime Achievement Award. It is recognition not only of my own research but also of the many fantastic colleagues and collaborations I have been fortunate to work with over the years."
With a distinguished career spanning more than three decades, her work has made foundational contributions to the fields of lung inflammation, tissue remodeling, and, more recently, regeneration and repair.
Is there anything in your research career that you feel especially proud of?
"I’m particularly proud of helping to build bridges between basic science and clinical application in respiratory medicine. A concrete example is my work on understanding how the extracellular matrix (ECM) influences inflammation and tissue remodeling in the lungs. This knowledge is now being used to identify new biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets in diseases such as asthma, COPD, and pulmonary fibrosis. I also find it meaningful that several of my former PhD students and postdocs now hold leading positions in research and clinical practice — a clear sign that the research environment we created has truly borne fruit."
What are the key research questions you are currently focusing on?
"Right now, I’m studying how degradation and remodeling of the ECM generate fragments — so-called neo-epitopes — that can act both as circulating biomarkers and as biologically active molecules in tissue. We are particularly interested in how these fragments affect cells in lung tissue in chronic inflammatory conditions. In parallel, we are developing methods to track these changes in patients over time, with the aim of enabling more individualized ways to monitor disease progression and treatment response — including the effects of physical activity and exercise."
Do you have a dream scenario that you hope could become reality in your field within the next 10–20 years?
"My dream scenario is that, within the next two decades, real-time monitoring of tissue remodeling via ECM biomarkers will be fully integrated into clinical routine — allowing us to follow disease processes in patients with conditions such as COPD or pulmonary fibrosis as easily as we measure blood pressure or blood sugar today. This would enable more precise treatments and earlier interventions. I also believe we will see new therapies that directly target ECM signaling, rather than focusing solely on inflammation suppression — a paradigm shift with the potential to transform the treatment of several chronic lung diseases, with physical exercise playing a key role in treatment strategies."
Excerpt from the European Respiratory Society on Gunilla Westergren-Thorsson’s scientific contributions:
"With a distinguished career spanning more than three decades, her work has made foundational contributions to the fields of lung inflammation, tissue remodeling, and, more recently, regeneration and repair.
With more than 170 peer-reviewed publications and sustained competitive funding, Professor Westergren-Thorsson is also a dedicated mentor, having trained numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are now leaders in academia, healthcare, and industry. Her ability to translate complex biological mechanisms into clinically relevant frameworks has made her a valued collaborator across disciplines."