Respiratory research program recruits 400th participant, marking key milestone
10 September 2024
Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre
The Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre is a global epicentre for paediatric respiratory research, informing clinical practice and driving a new research agenda for childhood lung health.
Building on 30 years of experience, where WA’s respiratory researchers have been recognised among the best in the world, the Centre brings together clinicians, scientists and community members from across the globe with a united goal – to prevent childhood respiratory illness and ensure that all children have healthy lungs for life.
A powerhouse partnership between The Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation and Perth Children’s Hospital ensures that the Centre will lead paediatric research in Australia and contribute significantly to global efforts to improve the lives of children with respiratory conditions and their families.
The Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre comprises more than 140 laboratory scientists, epidemiologists, clinical researchers, computational biologists, bioinformaticians, PhD students and research assistants, working in partnership with a core leadership team. The team is based at The Kids Research Institute Australia, co-located within the Perth Children’s Hospital on the QEII Campus in Nedlands.
There is an integrated, multidisciplinary approach between The Kids Research Institute Australia and Perth Children’s Hospital, and close collaborations with local Universities (UWA, Curtin, Murdoch and ECU), King Edward’s Memorial Hospital, the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, and centres of research excellence in paediatric respiratory health around the world.
The Kids' respiratory research has led to a paradigm shift in our current understanding of early lung disease.
New England Journal of Medicine
Research Publication
We all take breathing for granted, yet the community and healthcare costs of respiratory illness in children are enormous.
In Australia, around 1 million children live with serious respiratory diseases, with asthma alone costing the country $28 billion each year. More than 110,000 of these children are in WA.
These illnesses are the leading cause of hospital admissions for children under four, accounting for 30% of all childhood hospitalisations.
One fifth of Aboriginal children have a long-term respiratory disease, with the prevalence of asthma being 50% higher in this population. Moreover, Aboriginal infants affected by a long-term respiratory condition are up to ten times more likely to die from their disease.
Across all remote and urban areas in Western Australia, 20% of children have a respiratory illness.
