Professor Chris Brightling’s research focusses on improving the clinical management and understanding the mechanisms of airway diseases such as asthma, chronic coughs and COPD. He has published over 450 peer reviewed articles.

Professor Brightling is the national lead for the post-COVID consortium PHOSP-COVID and local research lead for the COVID-19 pandemic. His main research focus is on improving the clinical management and understanding the immunopathogenesis of the airway diseases asthma, chronic cough and COPD. 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 - GINA.

Professor Brightling draws on his experience in research excellence and leadership to coordinate the research teams at the University of Leicester and three Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust sites in their COVID-19 response.

The University and NHS Trust are working closely together, coordinated by Professor Brightling, to support the clinical COVID-19 research response. They recruited participants for national priority trials of therapies for COVID-19 and have been recognised for both the highest and fastest recruitment rate of patients to the RECOVERY trial – a national study into the most effective treatments for COVID-19. Following the team’s success they were approached to support the set up of research in the NHS Nightingale Hospital London. The team are also working with the European Respiratory Society to develop a long-term follow-up of those admitted to hospital with COVID-19 and will collect clinical data to provide deeper insight into the disease.