As touchRESPIRATORY approaches 10 years of providing education for busy respiratory specialists, we are looking to the future—and it certainly looks bright!
This year, we are celebrating our inaugural touchRESPIRATORY Future Leaders to recognize the outstanding talent that has entered our field in recent years. These individuals are set to innovate and transform respiratory and pulmonary medicine in the years to come.
Selected by our expert Editorial Board and contributing faculty, we are proud to highlight their achievements so far and explore what the future holds for them. We had the pleasure of learning about their unique journeys, career motivations, and the inspirations that have shaped their paths. They also shared their perspectives on the most exciting advancements in their specialties today and their hopes for the future of the field.
Congratulations to all our touchRESPIRATORY Future Leaders, and thank you for sharing your stories, insights and ambitions with us!
Shelby MacRae
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
“This is such an exciting time for the field! Both NTM and bronchiectasis are finally receiving the recognition they’ve long needed in both scientific and medical communities, which will ultimately benefit patients.”
Read our Q&A with Dr MacRae here
Véronique Suttels
CHUV Department Of Infectious Diseases, Lausanne, Switzerland
“Poverty relief and improved access to healthcare are essential to tackling TB. This challenge, rooted in a complex socio-historical context, is both inspiring and a continuous journey of learning.”
Read our Q&A with Dr Suttels here
Alexander Mathioudakis
The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
“All health professionals share the responsibility of supporting research that is clinically meaningful and ethically sound.”
Read our Q&A with Dr Mathioudakis here
Kaylee Worlock
University College London (UCL), London, UK
“Follow your interest and your curiosity; keeping a multidisciplinary approach really does help your research and help others.”
Read our Q&A with Dr Worlock here
Amy Wolfe
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center – Wetmore TB Clinic, LA, USA
“Almost every patient in the ICU is having the worst day of their life, and there are a lot of opportunities for compassion alongside evidence-based care.”
Read our Q&A with Dr Wolfe here
Debasree Banerjee
Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
“I am proud of the career I have carved out, it brings me immense joy and continues to evolve and be stimulating.”
Read our Q&A with Dr Banerjee here
Joseph Lanario
University of Plymouth, Plymouth; University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
“It’s key to involve patients at every step of the research process; it almost becomes a self fulfilling prophecy – if you involve patients early on, it becomes easier to keep them engaged and involved.”
Read our Q&A with Dr Lanario here
Helen Gavillet
Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
“While my work may focus on answering smaller questions within the field, I know it ultimately contributes to something bigger—particularly for the patients. “
Read our Q&A with Dr Gavillet here
Michelle Korah-Sedgwick
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
“Ultimately, I hope my research can move us closer to more precise, individualized care for people living with bronchiectasis.”
Read our Q&A with Dr Korah-Sedgwick here
Hannah Schiff
University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
“Academic medicine takes many forms and by being interested, inquisitive and persistent, research opportunities will arise and unexpected doors may open.”
Read our Q&A with Dr Schiff here
Opening soon!
Nominations for touchRESPIRATORY Future Leaders 2026
We are excited to announce that nominations for the touchRESPIRATORY Future Leaders 2026 will open soon, and we invite the respiratory community to share their suggestions for exceptional individuals who are shaping the future of the field through innovation and excellence in patient care.
Register below to hear about nominations as soon as they open!
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