Professor Christopher Brightling is a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator, Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, Respiratory Theme Lead for Leicester NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Director of the Institute for Lung Health and Honorary Consultant Respiratory Physician, Leicester, UK. Professor Brightling coordinates the European Union Consortium – AirPROM, the MRC/ABPI COPD (COPDMAP) Consortium, the MRC Molecular Pathology Node EMBER, the national post-hospitalisation ‘long-COVID’ consortium PHOSP-COVID and is the Respiratory Lead for the IMI 3TR. He is the founding Director of the European Respiratory Society Clinical Research Collaborations and is the current European Respiratory Society Science Council Chair.
His research focuses on improving the clinical management and understanding the immunopathogenesis of the following airway diseases: asthma, chronic cough and COPD. His current research projects include understanding the interactions between mast cells and airway smooth muscle cells in the development of the asthmatic phenotype, airway smooth muscle migration and remodelling in asthma and COPD. Throughout his career, Professor Brightling has published more than 480 peer-reviewed articles. He is a member of the American College of Chest Physicians’ Cough Guidelines, the British Thoracic Society, American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society Severe Asthma guidelines, and is on the scientific committee for the Global Initiative for Asthma.
