In Western Australia, around 20% of children have a respiratory illness, including conditions like asthma, cystic fibrosis, and the chronic lung disease of prematurity.
Respiratory function testing is essential for the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of these conditions. However, these tests are highly specialised and require adapted equipment to be suitable for testing in children.
The Respiratory Physiology Platform at the Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre offers access to specialist equipment housed within the outpatient research department at Perth Children’s Hospital, dedicated for research use.
Additional portable equipment is available to enable bedside and community-led research in rural and remote communities, including Indigenous communities where children are disproportionately affected by chronic respiratory conditions.
Through the platform, researchers can access qualified respiratory physiologist staff who provide training, maintain equipment and oversee quality control. Staffing of physiological assessments can additionally be arranged, with prior notice.
The Respiratory Physiology Platform is supported by the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation.
Contact us
Please direct general enquiries to our reception on (08) 6319 1000.
For further information about accessing training or equipment, please contact:
Elizabeth Smith
Program Manager, Children’s Lung Health
elizabeth.smith@thekids.org.au
Please contact the team early (at the stage of project design and budgeting) to ensure the most appropriate physiological test is selected with adequate funding. The team can provide relevant details for ethics and governance applications.