Dr Johanna Feary
Continuous laryngoscopy during provocation in the assessment of inducible laryngeal obstruction
Transient paradoxical closure of the larynx, occurring in the absence of any underlying structural or neurological defect, is a recognized cause of paroxysmal breathlessness and wheeze. This phenomenon, most commonly termed vocal cord dysfunction and more recently termed inducible laryngeal obstruction (ILO),1 is often misdiagnosed and mistreated as asthma.2, 3 This may be explained by the lack of a robust, accepted diagnostic methodology.4, 5
Dr Jo Feary featured in iNews campaign on artificial stone silicosis
Mon, 04 May 2026
Dr Jo Feary has been quoted in a recent article published by the iPaper about silicosis due to artificial/engineered stone ("More young men ‘will die’ of kitchen revamp disease as cases go undetected titled" - iPaper, 4th May 2026)
Dr Johanna Feary
Honorary Consultant in Occupational Lung Disease and Asthma
Jo is an Honorary Respiratory Consultant in occupational lung disease and asthma at Royal Brompton Hospital and Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College.
Her research is primarily focused on the respiratory heath of working populations including firefighters and individuals exposed to silica. She has been awarded funding to establish a UK Silicosis Registry. She is clinical advisor to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Respiratory Health (silicosis). She is a member of the Group of Occupational Respiratory Disease Specialists (GORDS) and recent Chair of the British Thoracic Society Occupational and Environmental Lung Disease Specialist Advisory Group (2021-2024).
- Qualifications: BMedSci, BM BS, MSc, MRCP, PhD
- See a list of recent publications by Dr Johanna Feary
- See Google scholar articles
- ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2903-6907
Dr Johanna Feary speaking at Fire Committee assembly
Tue, 16 Sep 2025
Dr Johanna Feary took part in a live panel discussion as part of the Fire Committee with the London Assembly today. Dr Feary speaks about the Grenfell Firefighters Study from 01:11:10 (1hr 11mins). Watch the full discussion online at the Mayor of London website: https://webcasts.london.gov.uk/Assembly/Event/Index/23eb223f-e51f-4ebd-9043-9db7d6c77144
Environmental and occupational exposures in interstitial lung disease
Purpose of review
We highlight recent advances in the understanding of how environmental and occupational exposures increase the risk of developing interstitial lung disease (ILD), and how to evaluate a patient for potential exposures.
Recent findings
EPICOH 2025 conference
Sun, 05 Oct 2025
Dr Johanna Feary recently presented at the EPICOH 2025 conference held between 5-9th October 2025 in Utrecht, the Netherlands on artificial stone silicosis.
They did talks alongside leaders in the field from Australia and the UK (L-R: Malcolm Sim, Martie Van Tongeren, Johanna Feary, Ryan Hoy, Deborah Glass, Karen Walker-Bone).
Read more about education and training we provide.
Exacerbation patterns in adults with asthma in England. A population-based study
Rationale: Asthma is heterogeneous and knowledge on exacerbation patterns is lacking. Previous studies have had a relatively short follow-up or focused on severe disease.
Objectives: To describe exacerbation patterns over a prolonged follow-up in a population that includes patients of all disease severity.
Follow-up survey of patients with occupational asthma
Health & Wellbeing At Work 2025 conference
Tue, 11 Mar 2025
Dr Johanna Feary recently did a talk at the Health & Wellbeing at Work conference on 11th March 2025 in Birmingham, UK.
ITV News feature on silicosis from artificial stone
Thu, 04 Jun 2026
Media coverage continues for on the rise in cases of silicosis amongst workers, primarily stonemasons, caused by exposure to artificial/engineered stone.
ITV News recently aired a piece on Monday 1 June 2026 focusing on a widow who lost her husband to silicosis, and the dangers of working with artificial stone.
Lungs At Work team member Dr Jo Feary was also featured in the report, and continues to do a huge amount of work to raise awareness and understanding of silicosis due to artificial stone.
