New leadership for the Ludwig Engel Centre for Respiratory Research 

The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR) has appointed Associate Professor Kristina Kairaitis as Centre Director of the Ludwig Engel Centre for Respiratory Research (LECRR), strengthening its leadership in respiratory and sleep medicine.

Associate Professor Kristina Kairaitis has been appointed Centre Director for the Ludwig Engel Centre for Respiratory Research (LECRR) at WIMR.  

A/Prof Kairaitis is a respiratory and sleep physician at Westmead Hospital and leads several groups within LECRR, including the Sleep and Cancer Research Group, Gas Exchange Consequences of Respiratory Disease Research Group and Upper Airway Physiology Research Group.  

“My research focus is in both sleep and respiratory diseases,” she said. “This includes sleep in cancer patients with a focus on circadian disruption, the pathophysiology of obstructive sleep apnoea and gas exchange in pulmonary disease, particularly COPD and COVID-19. By understanding the underlying mechanisms of these diseases, I hope to be able to find new ways to treat them.”  

Kristina says the unique environment at Westmead is central to that goal.  

“What excites me about LECRR is the ability to do bench-to-bedside research, the access to an excellent sleep laboratory and the ability to solve problems collaboratively with others in the Westmead Institute for Medical Research.”  

LECRR is home to a multidisciplinary team exploring how to better prevent, diagnose and treat respiratory diseases that have a major impact in Western Sydney and globally, including asthma, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis and sleep-disordered breathing. The Centre forms part of WIMR’s broader mission to scale the promise of precision medicine and translate discovery into tangible outcomes for patients.  

Within LECRR, Associate Professor Stephen Milne leads the Airways Disease Biology Research Group, with a focus on asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).  

“The Airways Diseases Biology Group at LECRR studies the root causes of airway diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” Stephen explained. “We aim to understand why these conditions develop, why symptoms and outcomes vary from person to person, and how they may lead to long-term complications. By combining advanced lung function testing with cellular and molecular research, we work to identify better predictors of disease (such as biomarkers) and develop treatments that not only relieve symptoms but also change the course of illness.”  

One current project is building a large, long-term study of people with airway diseases, collecting airway samples over several years and working closely with WIMR’s Centre for Virus Research.  

“The human airways contain many viruses, even in people who feel completely well,” Stephen said. “Working with the WIMR Centre for Virus Research, we aim to understand whether these viruses influence symptoms and drive disease progression. Our ultimate aim is to develop personalised treatments for the millions of Australians living with airways disease.”  

We also acknowledge Professor Wheatley and Associate Professor Terry Amis, who established LECRR in 2000 and whose leadership – including A/Prof Amis’ pivotal role in designing the state-of-the-art sleep laboratory – has contributed enormously to its success. 

Under A/Prof Kairaitis’ leadership, LECRR will continue to strengthen partnerships across the wider Westmead Health Precinct, advancing research that improves respiratory health for communities in Western Sydney and beyond.