Respiratory Research Centre launched at University of Saskatchewan

A new research centre at the University of Saskatchewan will specialize in respiratory health.

The Respiratory Research Centre (RRC) will advance interdisciplinary approaches to respiratory health internally and in collaboration with external partners.

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Donna Goodridge, who is the director of the RRC and a professor in the College of Medicine’s division of respirology, critical care and sleep medicine, said a strategy is needed to learn more about lung disease, develop cures and improve quality of life.

“We take breathing and our respiratory health for granted, but respiratory illness is a big concern,” Goodridge said in a statement.

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“Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the number one chronic medical condition leading to hospitalization in Canada, and lung cancer kills more people than breast, ovarian, colon and prostate cancers combined.”

One in four Canadians will suffer from lung disease during their lifetime and respiratory illness is the most common cause of childhood hospitalization.

It is estimated that lung disease costs the Canadian economy $12 billion yearly.

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The RRC will bring together people across a number of disciplines – including medicine, pharmacy, the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) and the Canadian Light Source – to work together on research projects.

It will also work with external partners, including the Lung Association of Canada and the Saskatoon Health Region, to build on existing respiratory research expertise and provide opportunities for new direction and discovery.

Karen Chad, the vice-president of research at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S), said the partnership between internal and external resources will help advance reseach.

“This exciting new research centre builds on initiatives currently underway within One Health, a signature research area at the U of S which provides health solutions at the animal-human-environment interface,” Chad said in a release.

“It will enable our graduate students and post-doctoral fellows to become leading experts and health care professionals in this critical area of respiratory health.”