Prestigious Fellowship enables vital clinical research into cystic fibrosis and other critical illnesses

The award, valued at €30,700, will support WIMR's post-doctoral researcher Dr Hui Win Ong for one year whilst she carries out vital clinical research at the University of Southampton.

The research will enable Southampton's Health Sciences' Imaging team to gain a greater understanding of cystic fibrosis and develop new approaches to enhancing lung function in these patients.

This Fellowship is designed to ‘enable investigators and clinicians in the early stages of their career to carry out basic, translational or clinical research projects and to acquire and apply advanced research procedures and techniques'. 

Dr Ong will be working with Professor Joy Conway's team at Southampton General Hospital where she will study how lungs clear secretions in patients with cystic fibrosis.

During this time Dr Ong will gain experience in advanced 3D medical imaging and be able to apply her skills to develop new drug delivery systems which will then be translated to her home Institution at the WIMR.  

Joy Conway is Professor of Respiratory Sciences and Lung Imaging at the University of Southampton, and will supervise Dr Ong with Professors Paul Young and Dany Traini of the Respiratory Technology Group at WIMR.

Collaboration between these two excellent research groups was made possible because of a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travelling Fellowship awarded to Professor Conway to spend time at WIMR earlier this year.

On being notified of the European Respiratory Society Long-Term Travel Fellowship award Professor Conway said: "It is an honour to be granted such a prestigious award and a tremendous opportunity to work in collaboration with a world renowned research institute which hosts an elite group of respiratory researchers.

"We look forward to welcoming Dr Hui Xin Ong to our Imaging Group and furthering our knowledge through her research into these critical illnesses.

"I am also deeply grateful to the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.  Without this initial Fellowship the subsequent award from the European Respiratory Society would not have been possible."