Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Royal Brompton Hospital, London and National Heart and Lung Institute (Imperial College)

Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London

Research Projects

Andrew Brant, Paul Cullinan, Anthony Newman Taylor

Baker’s asthma

Investigations into the prevalence, determinants and 'location' of baker's asthma in the UK. In addition, assessment of standard and new methods for routine health surveillance in this workforce.

Andrew Brant, Paul Cullinan, Anthony Newman Taylor

Detergent enzyme asthma

Investigations into the determinants of detergent-enzyme asthma including examination of its exposure-response functions.

Angela Jones, Paul Cullinan, Anthony Newman Taylor

Pre-employment guidance for job candidates with asthma (PEGASUS) (Pre-employment guideline re. asthmatics for use in screening)

Dr Angela Jones, with the help of this project's Steering Group and Expert Advisory Panel, is working on producing guidance for the pre-employment assessment of job candidates with asthma. She is also studying certain research questions, including what concerns occupational health professionals when employing job candidates with asthma in certain jobs and whether a person's asthma trajectory can be predicted by their past asthma experience. To examine these research questions, she is using: a Survey; various systematic reviews; and The Health Improvement Network (THIN) database. This study is generously funded by the British Occupational Health Research Foundation (BOHRF) and the Royal Brompton and Harefield Charitable Trust.

Paul Cullinan, Jennifer Welch

Egg Allergy

A study of egg allergy in egg research workers.

Paul Cullinan, Jessica Harris, Anthony Newman TaylorAMICS

A multi-centre birth cohort in four European populations; concerned with the aetiology of childhood asthma and allergy. Paul Cullinan, Stephanie MacNeill, Anthony Newman TaylorAtopy in Crete

Cross-sectional surveys of rural Cretan populations to examine dietary, infective and other determinants of childhood respiratory allergy. Paul Cullinan, Jessica Harris, Anthony Newman TaylorAshford

Birth cohort (n=642) recruited in Ashford Kent with the purpose of examining the role of allergen and other domestic exposures in the development of childhood respiratory disease. Paul Cullinan, Stephanie MacNeillALEGRO / GABRIEL

Cross-sectional survey of atopic disease in two neighbouring populations of people living in Lower Silesia, south west Poland; recently expanded to large survey of schoolchildren in the same area – in collaboration with four Alpine research groups. Jo Szram, Susie Upchurch, Jessica Harris, Paul CullinanCOPD in Kent

A large cross-sectional study based in Kent, funded by the Colt foundation, examining the occupational causes and employment consequences of airways disease (COPD) in older adults in the UK. The aim is to ascertain the proportion (frequency) of airway disease attributable to occupation in this population and the frequency of unemployment, job loss and job change as a result. A cohort of several thousand people will be generated for prospective follow-up.
Paul Cullinan, George RachiotisSystematic review of the outcomes of occupational asthma. Jo Szram, Susie Upchurch, Paul CullinanSystematic review of effect of welding on FEV decline in collaboration with The Welding Institute (UK). Nicola Cherry (University of Alberta); Gary Burgess (University of Manchester); Corbett McDonaldCohort mortality studies of Stoke on Trent pottery workers. Corbett McDonald, Jessica Harris

Cohort mortality study of gas mask workers exposed to crocidolite in 1940
Cohort mortality study of Montana vermiculite miners and millers exposed to fibrous tremolite

Corbett McDonald; Janet Hughes, Roy Rando, Hans Weill (Tulane University)Cohort mortality studies of workers in American industrial sand plants. Jo Szram, Paul Cullinan, Anthony Newman Taylor

Currently examining the occupational causes and employment consequences of airways disease (both asthma and COPD) in adult life in the UK. The aim is to ascertain the proportion (frequency) of airway disease attributable to occupation in this population and the frequency of unemployment, job loss and job change as a result.
Currently conducting a study examining the relationship between occupation and asthma in an adult population, recruiting through general practice.

Jessica Harris, Paul Cullinan (in collaboration with National Respiratory Training Centre, Warwick)Hayfever

A study of 1834 young adults sitting their GCSE exams in 2004 investigating associations between hayfever symptoms and exam performance.
Meinir Jones, with Hayley Jeal, Anthony Newman Taylor, Paul Cullinan

Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms to both high and low molecular weight allergens in occupational asthma. In particular:
- the cellular and cytokine responses in peripheral blood and mapping of the T cell epitopes.
- the cellular and molecular response in the lungs of patients challenged with diisocyanates
Determining the genetic susceptibility to both high and low molecular allergens in occupational asthma. In particular we investigated:
- HLA association with the development of sensitisation
- IL-13 polymorphisms in the development of sensitisation to occupational allergens
Understanding the role of immunoregulation in occupational asthma since not everyone develops the disease. In particular we are investigating:
- Role of T regulatory cells
- Cytokine response
- IgG, IgG4, IgA antibodies and their possible blocking mechanism
- IgE-facilitated allergen binding (FAB) assay

Stephanie MacNeill, Paul CullinanEMITS study (Environmental Monitoring of an Integrated Transport Strategy)

In June 1999, private vehicles were barred from parts of Oxford city centre and were re-routed to less central parts of the city in a scheme to reduce traffic. We assessed the impact this policy has had on public health by studying the respiratory health of children and routine hospitalisations for cardio-respiratory causes. Paul Cullinan, Fan Chung, James McCreanorDiesel exhaust – Health Effects Institute study – A study of the health effects of diesel exhaust in asthmatics, comparing Oxford Street and Hyde Park. Corbett McDonald, Nicola Cherry (University of Alberta)Natural pollution of well water by arsenic in Bangladesh

Prevalence of arsenic-related skin lesions in 57 widely scattered Bangladeshi villages
Detailed case-control survey of identified skin lesions in relation to arsenic exposure measurements

Yiqun Chen (University of Manchester); Nicola Cherry (University of Alberta); Corbett McDonaldComprehensive analyses of ODIN surveillance data, 1989-2001