Our Research

The CRE-PF enables our nationally coordinated, clinically focused research program addressing the urgent need for more effective, personalised approaches to identify and better manage fibrotic lung diseases, as well as to educate the public and train future generations of researchers in pulmonary fibrosis. 

We are achieving our mission through completing 6 objectives:

1. Understanding causes and improving early diagnosis. We are building new knowledge of genetic and environmental causes of pulmonary fibrosis and enabling intervention through earlier, more accurate diagnosis.
2. Preventing disease progression. We are developing sensitive and multidimensional staging to predict which patients have a progressive phenotype and identify therapeutic targets to prevent disease progression and enhance survival.
3. Improving disease management, moderating symptoms, and improving quality of life. We are developing new treatments to improve quality of life and reduce the suffering of pulmonary fibrosis patients.
4. Translating research outcomes to policy and practice. We are implementing national models of care to rapidly and directly translate our research outcomes into both policy and practice, ensuring best practice care for pulmonary fibrosis patients across all areas of regional and urban Australia.
5. Enhancing research training. We are building on our highly successful national training scheme, attracting and developing the next generation of outstanding pulmonary fibrosis researchers with our multidisciplinary, adaptive program for career development, mentorship and training.
6. Facilitating collaboration. We are extending existing extensive national and international collaborations with a strong inter-disciplinary focus, enabling intellectual exchange, fast-tracking precision medicine research goals.

We are able to achieve the CRE-PF objectives due to the unique advantage of the national collaborative platforms we have established:

• The Australasian ILD Registry (AILDR) with its multimodal biobank 
• Our pulmonary fibrosis Australasian Clinical Trials (PACT) network 
• The Translation, Education and Support (TEDS) program delivered in partnership with Lung Foundation Australia 
• The CRE-Advanced Training Environment (CREATE) researcher development program
• Our dedicated Consumer Advisory Group.  

These national platforms underpin collaborative pulmonary fibrosis research in Australia and provide critical infrastructure and enable key insights not possible in smaller studies.