South West respiratory researcher takes national award for patient-centred excellence

A pioneering researcher from Devon has won an award for his outstanding contribution to respiratory research and dedication to patient involvement.

Dr Joseph Lanario is a Research Fellow in the Severe Asthma and Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) teams at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and the University of Plymouth.

He received a British Thoracic Society/National Institute for Health and Social Care Clinical Research Network (BTS/NIHR CRN) award in the category: Early Career Researcher and those new to research from all non-medical professional groups showing a significant contribution to recruitment into NIHR portfolio studies.  

Joseph was given his award at the annual Winter Meeting of the BTS. He said: "Thank you to the British Thoracic Society and the National Institute of Health and Care Research for this award, and to the severe asthma and ILD teams for their support of the research. This is a great honour for everyone caring for severe asthma and ILD at the Royal Devon."

The award recognises the significant contribution Joseph has made to the experience of patients with severe asthma and ILD, and how his efforts have transformed the way the Trust delivers respiratory research. Since 2016, he has recruited over 600 patients into specialist asthma studies.

Joseph has been supported by the NIHR CRN SWP to develop his research career and was one of the 2022 cohort of Research Associates funded by the Network. 

Joseph has worked closely with patients and colleagues to increase study recruitment, developing innovative approaches to encourage research participation. For example, to overcome the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, Joseph implemented changes that meant volunteers could take part in studies from the comfort of their homes, which proved to be convenient and accessible for patients.

Professor Michael Gibbons, NIHR CRN South West Peninsula (SWP) Clinical Director and Clinical Director, Exeter - South West Peninsula Interstitial Lung Disease service, said: “We were absolutely delighted to hear of Joe's award. He has worked tirelessly and is a valued member of the team; it was therefore a delight to see him receiving such worthy recognition.”

Dr Matthew Masoli, NIHR CRN SWP Specialty Research Lead for Respiratory Disorders and  Respiratory Consultant at the Royal Devon said: “Joseph has been an instrumental part of our patient-centred research programme and it is fantastic to see that his hard work, commitment and success are being rewarded.”

Most recently, Joseph spearheaded recruitment for the UK component of a ground-breaking European study spanning 11 countries, examining the impact of severe asthma on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The team, under his guidance, has collected questionnaire data from over 140 patients through a custom app. Additionally, Joe co-authored the Severe Asthma Questionnaire (SAQ), a patient-partnered initiative capturing perspectives on disease and treatment.

Joseph has also collaborated with the Royal Devon ILD team, evaluating the use of spirometry at home for interstitial lung disease. This is a basic breathing test that measures the amount of air a person can blow out as fast as they can, and is a useful way of monitoring lung conditions, measuring response to treatment, and measuring the progression of lung disease.

Dr Anne-Marie Russell, Clinical Academic - Interstitial Lung Disease, the University of Exeter, said: “Joseph has strengthened his collaboration with the ILD mixed methods research team, providing supervision and support to pre-doctoral ILD researcher Jess Mandizha and the wider interdisciplinary research team. He brings a thoughtful and reflective maturity to our collaborative work.”

The work of Joseph and his team is part of a widespread research programme at the Royal Devon and adds to a growing reputation for excellence in clinical research. You can find out more about research, development and innovation on the Trust website: https://www.royaldevon.nhs.uk/about-us/research-and-development/