Honorary Research Fellow
BSc PhD
Dr Ingrid Laing is a research scientist (BSc. PhD.) with a focus on understanding the mechanisms of childhood respiratory disease, identifying risk factors and biomarkers that predict the development of persistent respiratory exacerbations as well as trialling new treatments. Dr Laing has a comprehensive track record in paediatric respiratory research particularly in the areas of respiratory virology, childhood acute wheezing and asthma, lung development and immunogenetics.
During her PhD studying the genetics of asthma susceptibility, Dr Laing won numerous awards for her research from the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ), the Australian Lung Foundation, the CRC for Asthma, the National Asthma Council and Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. This was followed by the Australian Respiratory Council Ann Woolcock Research Fellowship investigating acute lower respiratory infection in infants.
Together with Prof Peter Le Souef, Dr Laing leads a world-class study of children having wheezing and asthma attacks and has also undertaken clinical trials of new asthma treatments.
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Projects
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Publications
March 2021
Increased nasal Streptococcus pneumoniae presence in Western environment associated with allergic conditions in Chinese immigrants
Chinese immigrants living in Australia experience increased allergic conditions: asthma, eczema, hay fever and wheeze. Recently we reported diminished innate cytokine responses in long-term immigrants, potentially increasing their pathogenic viral load and microbial carriage. We hypothesise that a Western environment changes the nasal microbiome profile, and this altered profile may be associated with the development of allergic conditions. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to examine the loading of viral and microbial respiratory pathogens in the upper airway.
Published research Children’s Respiratory Science BREATHDecember 2021Personal network inference unveils heterogeneous immune response patterns to viral infection in children with acute wheezing
Human rhinovirus (RV)-induced exacerbations of asthma and wheeze are a major cause of emergency room presentations and hospital admissions among children. Previous studies have shown that immune response patterns during these exacerbations are heterogeneous and are characterized by the presence or absence of robust interferon responses.
Published research Systems Immunology ORIGINS P4 Respiratory Health for Kids Children’s Respiratory Science Immune system Respiratory viral infectionsNovember 2021Viral Induced Effects on a Vulnerable Epithelium; Lessons Learned From Paediatric Asthma and Eosinophilic Oesophagitis
The epithelium is integral to the protection of many different biological systems and for the maintenance of biochemical homeostasis. Emerging evidence suggests that particular children have epithelial vulnerabilities leading to dysregulated barrier function and integrity, that resultantly contributes to disease pathogenesis.
Asthma Published research Airway Epithelial Research Children’s Respiratory ScienceOctober 2021Defining Age-specific Relationships of Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Rhinovirus Species in Hospitalized Children With Acute Wheeze
Acute wheezing is one of the most common hospital presentations for young children. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and rhinovirus (RV) species A, B and the more recently described species C are implicated in the majority of these presentations. However, the relative importance and age-specificities of these viruses have not been defined.
Asthma Published research Infectious Diseases Systems Immunology ORIGINS Children’s Respiratory Science BREATH Respiratory viral infections -
Education and Qualifications
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Awards/Honours
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Active Collaborations