Dr Richard Kim is a respiratory immunologist and leader in pulmonary research. Since completing his PhD in 2015 (Immunology and Microbiology, The University of Newcastle), he has established a dynamic research and leadership portfolio as Senior Lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Laboratory Head of the UTS ImmunoPharmacology Research Group, and research leader at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research. He also serves as the National Convenor of the Asthma and Allergy Special Interest Group within the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ), driving collaborative research and clinical translation across the respiratory health sector. During his postdoctoral training, he was awarded a Lung Foundation Australia & Boehringer Ingelheim research fellowship (2018-2020) and was recruited to a tenured Faculty position at UTS in 2019. In 2022, he established a multi-institutional severe asthma research initiative with UTS, The University of Newcastle, and the Woolcock Institute to advance discovery-to-translation research through cross-sector partnerships. Dr Kim leads an internationally recognised research program aimed at advancing our understanding of, and developing new treatments for, chronic lung diseases including severe asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. His work is also providing critical insights into the health impacts of emerging environmental threats such as e-cigarettes and bushfire smoke. Dr Kim specialises in developing and interrogating novel mouse models of human lung disease that are highly representative of the human scenario. These models are used to investigate disease-causing mechanisms and assess the effects of new therapies on respiratory immunology and function, and are cited in European Respiratory Society Practice Guidelines as crucial tools for research and drug testing. He has received over 25 awards and prizes recognising his research excellence, and his work is routinely published in leading respiratory and general interest journals such as Science Translational Medicine, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Cell Metabolism, Lancet Respiratory Medicine, and Nature Communications.

Dr Chengxue Helena Qin is Laboratory Head in Cardiovascular Pharmacology at Monash University, where she leads a pioneering research program focused on developing next-generation pro-resolving medicines for cardiopulmonary diseases. Her work bridges the gap between fundamental pharmacology and clinical translation, addressing one of the most pressing global health challenges. Recognized as an Australian Research Council Future Leader, Dr Qin is among Australia’s most accomplished mid-career researchers. She earned her PhD in Pharmacology & Therapeutics/Chemistry from the University of Melbourne, completed postdoctoral training at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, and has led her independent research group at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences since 2019. Her research has been published in leading journals, including Nature Communications, Cardiovascular Research, Circulation, British Journal of Pharmacology, and Pharmacology & Therapeutics. Dr Qin’s leadership and scientific excellence have been acknowledged through more than 20 prestigious awards, including the Hypertension Australia Mid-Career Award, American Heart Association International Scholar Award. For more information, please visit: https://www.monash.edu/mips/themes/drug-discovery-biology/labs/cardiovascular-pharmacology.

Dr Belinda Thomas is a senior postdoctoral scientist in the Respiratory Research Laboratory based at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne. Her research interest is viral-induced exacerbations of chronic lung disease, investigating the effects of current and repurposed therapeutic agents on disease severity. Her work utilises a panel of respiratory pathogens including influenza A virus, in vitro primary cell cultures and in vivo mouse models, and more recently, precision-cut lung slice models.