Asbestos-related research

In most cases, asbestos-related deaths are the direct result of work-related exposure to asbestos fibres.

Tradies and people doing home renovations are still at risk of being exposed to asbestos.
~ Prof Fraser Brims, Head of the Occupational and Respiratory Health Group.

Aim of our research

What we are doing now and where our research is taking us

Asbestos-related research helps us understand how the diseases are caused, how they develop and how to best treat them. We work to:

• improve detection methods
• improve treatments
• increase understanding of the cellular changes that occur in asbestos disease
• increase understanding of the influence of human genetics.

We have two research groups investigating asbestos-related diseases. The National Centre for Asbestos-related Diseases, and the Occupational and Respiratory Health Group.

Our research into asbestos-related lung diseases includes an annual health check-up using specialist breathing tests, blood tests and the latest CT scan technology as well as the application of cutting-edge technologies such as genomics and computational modelling.