Professor John Holloway awarded prestigious Fellowship of the European Respiratory Society

Professor John Holloway, Associate Vice-President of Interdisciplinary Research and Professor of Allergy and Respiratory Genetics at the University of Southampton’s Faculty of Medicine, has been awarded the title of Fellow of the European Respiratory Society (FERS).

This prestigious accolade recognises outstanding contributions to respiratory medicine in research, education and clinical leadership, placing Professor Holloway among an elite group of international experts shaping the future of respiratory science.

He now joins Southampton colleagues Professors Jane Lucas, Tom Wilkinson, Ratko Djukanovic, Stephen Holgate, and Donna Davies as an FERS honouree—a testament to the university’s decades-long leadership in respiratory research.

Professor Stephen Holgate, who nominated Professor Holloway, said:

“John is a most deserving recipient of this prestigious award from the ERS. His rich research portfolio is impressive, particularly his focus on genetic susceptibility to lung diseases such as asthma—including the landmark discovery of ADAM33 as the first novel asthma gene. Through his leadership roles and lived experience, John’s relentless efforts to help the broader research community is considerable and greatly valued.”

Originally from New Zealand, Professor Holloway completed his BSc in Biochemistry at Otago University before earning a PhD in 1997, during which he was one of the first to identify a gene associated with severe asthma. He came to Southampton in 1997 as a postdoctoral fellow, continuing his research with Professor Stephen Holgate into the genetic factors that influence allergy and asthma.

Today, he leads a research team within the Human Genetics and Medical Genomics theme in the School of Human Development & Health. His pioneering work explores how genetic and environmental factors influence respiratory diseases like asthma and COPD, including how these conditions can develop before birth, why symptoms vary between individuals, and how genes and environmental triggers interact.

Beyond his research, Professor Holloway is a dedicated educator and mentor. Since becoming a lecturer in Pharmacology in 2005, he has helped shape both undergraduate and postgraduate education across medicine, allergy, and genomics. He is also Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, reflecting his commitment to teaching excellence, and he has supervised more than 15 PhD and MD candidates. In his role as Associate Vice President Interdisciplinary Research Professor Holloway co-leads the University’s interdisciplinary research program and research culture strategy.

Speaking about the honour, Professor Holloway said: “I am honoured to be elected as a Fellow of the European Respiratory Society. This recognition reflects the fantastic research by my students and colleagues over many years, as well as the strength of respiratory research in Southampton.”