Projects funded in 2009

In 2009 we agreed to fund 18 new research projects to understand the causes of asthma, develop new treatments and improve people’s quality of life.

In a change from previous years, all the projects will run for one-year, and the majority are pilot projects to investigate promising new areas of asthma research.

New projects range from work to discover whether giving a woman vitamin D tablets during pregnancy will reduce the asthma risk of her unborn child, through to cutting-edge science to create allergy vaccines, and the creation of a quality of life questionnaire for the families of wheezy young children.

Examples of some of the new Asthma UK-funded studies:

John Warner

Can vitamin D supplements reduce asthma risk?
A London-based study to discover whether women who take vitamin D supplements during pregnancy are lowering their child’s asthma and allergy risk.

Chris Brightling

Discovering the diversity of severe asthma
Leicester researchers are using a unique UK registry of people with severe asthma to develop a much better understanding of the variability of this debilitating condition.

Rob Horne

Boosting asthma expectations to improve quality of life
A vital study to boost people’s expectations about the level of control over asthma they can achieve.

Stephen Till

Creating vaccines for hay fever and allergic asthma
London scientists plan to uncover vital information about the body’s response to pollen, information which could lead to the creation of new pollen vaccines.

Liam Heaney

Can dealing with depression improve severe asthma control?
Belfast-based researchers are collecting preliminary evidence on the benefits of prescribing anti-depressants for people with severe asthma who are also depressed.

Paul Seddon

Developing a family-focused tool for wheezy young children
Researchers in Brighton are developing a questionnaire to assess the quality of life of wheezy young children and their families.

Jennifer Woof

Uncovering new ways to treat allergic asthma
Scientists at the University of Dundee are undertaking a unique study aimed at improving treatments for people with severe allergic asthma.