Their undeveloped lungs lack a vital coating called surfactant that both protects delicate tissue and helps maintain air pressure. Animal surfactants can be given, but with the danger of species-transferable diseases, scientists wish to develop an artificial surfactant. He also works with another University of Calgary scientist, Dr. Francis Green, to study how efficiently we clear pollutants from our lungs. Their work may have implications in understanding the effect of toxic particles on the rising incidence of asthma and allergies. Dr. Carol Adair conducted landmark research establishing the connection between second hand smoke and ear infections in children.
Lung scarring can result from toxins, burns, or a number of diseases and conditions, such as lupus.
When scarring occurs, the delicate tissue of the lungs stiffens, preventing vital air exchange. One out of eight schoolchildren has asthma, and the rates are rising sharply. A member of the Perinatal Research Centre Group, she works with the Royal Alexandra Hospital's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology to study maternal and fetal hormones that stimulate contractions. The team hopes to identify drugs that will prevent pre-term labour. Although glasses and laser surgery correct vision, they address the symptoms of myopia, not the causes of excessive eye growth.