ERS Gold Medal in Asthma 2019

John Fahy is Professor of Medicine, Director of the Airway Clinical Research Centre, and Director of the outpatient faculty practice in severe asthma at the University of California San Francisco.

He is a medical graduate of University College Dublin. He directs a research program in asthma and airway biology that is human-centred and focused on exploration of mechanisms that contribute to persistent type 2 inflammation and formation of pathologic mucus gels.

His research has informed treatment approaches for asthma, including precision treatment for type 2 high asthma. In addition, his group's research findings provide a basis for targeting mucus plugs to improve airflow and for treating systemic inflammation to improve disease control in severe forms of asthma. His laboratory has pioneered and optimised experimental approaches and methods that enable clinical studies of disease mechanisms in asthma and has been an important training ground for postdoctoral trainees.

Prof. Fahy's research program has been consistently supported by the National Institute for Health for over 20 years. He holds the Michael S. Stulbarg endowed chair in pulmonary medicine at UCSF and he received a recognition award for scientific accomplishment from the American Thoracic Society in 2017, in recognition of his outstanding scientific contributions.