Identifying phenotypes of prematurity-associated lung disease in Nova Scotia and Western Australia

Globally approximately 13.4 million babies are born too early or preterm each year. Many people born preterm, have lung disease causing breathing difficulties, that progresses throughout their lives. This prematurity-associated lung disease is complex and can look very different from person to person, making it harder to diagnose and treat. Some individuals show characteristics that are similar to other lung diseases such as Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There is currently no evidence-based clinical guidelines on how to treat people born preterm with prematurity-associated lung disease. Categorizing the different characteristics of lung disease among individuals in this population would be a step towards better understanding this disease and applying targeted treatments.
We aim to develop different lung disease profiles (or phenotypes) in populations born preterm in both Western Australia and Nova Scotia, so that we can determine what characteristics to target to treatments in these individuals. This project will use specialized statistical methods, to group together different individuals based on similar respiratory characteristics. Figuring out specific profiles of prematurity-associated lung disease will help to identify lung disease earlier and target treatments to the individuals unique needs to improve their lung health sooner and more effectively.

Faculty Supervisor:

Sanja Stanojevic

Student:

Partner:

Curtin University

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

Dalhousie University

Program: