Lung Research Grand Challenges: transforming respiratory research

Respiratory research in the UK is underfunded, undervalued and suboptimally coordinated. With poor lung health costing the economy ∼£190 billion per year1 and someone in the UK dying of a respiratory condition every 5 min,2 the economic and public health impact of respiratory conditions can and should no longer be ignored. Despite best efforts as a research community to deliver much needed advancements in the understanding and treatment of respiratory conditions, progress is hindered by inadequate funding. Respiratory research receives just 2.5% of public funding,3 a figure clearly disproportionate to the burden of disease as lung conditions are the UK’s third leading cause of death and will affect 12 million people during their lifetime.2 This discrepancy is striking when compared with the proportions of public funding allocated to other leading causes of death and harm, such as cancer (16.8%) and mental health (6.1%).3 The UK is not alone in its failure to prioritise respiratory health. Global underinvestment directly impacts research output, with publications in the field proportionally declining over the last 50 years.4 Additionally, fewer people are pursuing clinical and academic careers in respiratory medicine.5 Those who do are confronted with condition-specific siloes6 and limited data-sharing capabilities,7 limiting progress through collaboration. These barriers are stalling the research pipeline, an issue that has long been acknowledged by the respiratory research community. Nearly 20 years ago, the UK Respiratory Research Strategy Collaborative proposed a set of research priorities as a mechanism to focus investment and build research capacity.8 Yet, in 2024, the Lung Research and Innovation Group (LRIG; similarly comprising academics, patient and professional organisations and research …