Determinants of fungal asthma in children (360G-Wellcome-342675_Z_25_Z)

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition characterised by wheeze, shortness of breath and cough. In the UK, 1.1 million children suffer from asthma and children with severe asthma are more likely to experience progressive respiratory deterioration into adulthood. Mould exposure and fungal sensitisation are linked to more severe asthma in adults, but not much is known how this affects asthma severity in childhood. The aim of my project is to identify environmental and genetic risk factors driving asthma in childhood, to focus on mould exposure as an important and under-assessed specific risk factor and to obtain a better insight into the immunopathology of fungal asthma in childhood. I will investigate the environmental, genetic and clinical factors contributing to severe asthma in childhood using Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) data, including mould exposure and fungal sensitisation. I will also examine immune responses in children with asthma by measuring inflammatory markers in blood and respiratory samples. This research will enhance our understanding of severe asthma in children and the impact of mould exposure and sensitisation, advance my own research skills, and integrate multi-domain approaches. It may help identify new management strategies and prognostic markers for fungal asthma.