Ageing, Air, and Oestrogen

This talk will focus on how aging affects lung health, particularly in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the role of a gene called PTCH1. We’ll discuss how changes in this gene might contribute to lung damage and aging and explore ways we might help slow down this process to improve quality of life for people with COPD.

Did you know that asthma affects women more than men, and hormones might be to blame? Oestrogen receptors play a key role in shaping these differences, influencing inflammation and airway function. In this talk, we’ll explore how oestrogen impacts asthma—no PhD required!
Women going through menopause often notice changes in their breathing, yet lung health is rarely part of the conversation. Could the drop in oestrogen be silently driving inflammation and reshaping the airways? My research explores whether losing oestrogen increases lung inflammation and changes the structure of the airways. The focus is on uncovering a potential links that could change the way we understand respiratory disease in women.