{"id":979,"date":"2023-05-02T09:22:37","date_gmt":"2023-05-02T08:22:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/ris\/?p=979"},"modified":"2025-05-19T12:42:56","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T11:42:56","slug":"meet-professor-john-dickinson-diagnosing-exercise-induced-asthma-and-disordered-breathing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/ris\/2023\/05\/02\/meet-professor-john-dickinson-diagnosing-exercise-induced-asthma-and-disordered-breathing\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Professor John Dickinson: diagnosing exercise-induced asthma and disordered breathing"},"content":{"rendered":"

5.4 million people in the UK are currently receiving treatment for asthma (<\/span>Asthma UK<\/span><\/a>) and yet up to 1-in-3 of these could be misdiagnosed, whilst underdiagnoses can vary from between 19% and 79% (<\/span>Breathe, 2019<\/span><\/a>) Professor<\/span>\u00a0John Dickinson from the School of Sports and Exercise Sciences<\/a>\u00a0is on a mission to change that\u00a0through\u00a0his work at the\u00a0University of Kent\u2019s Respiratory Clinic.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How and why did you become an academic?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Prior to becoming an academic I worked for the <\/span>British Olympic Association<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(aka\u00a0Team\u00a0GB)\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>English Institute of Sport<\/span><\/a>\u00a0directly supporting athletes\u00a0to\u00a0manage breathing problems. Although the direct work with athletes was incredibly rewarding there was little time to run research projects to better understand respiratory problems the athletes were presenting with. Since making the move into academia I have been able to balance directly supporting athletes\u00a0to\u00a0overcome breathing problems\u00a0with running\u00a0research projects that have\u00a0helped to\u00a0further our understanding of breathing problems and develop\u00a0new solutions\u00a0to help athletes\u00a0optimise\u00a0their respiratory health.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is it\u00a0about this area of work that you are passionate about?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Individuals with a disordered breathing pattern can take up to 7 years to get a correct diagnosis and 33% of asthma diagnosis has been shown to be incorrect.<\/span>\u00a0As an expert in\u00a0exercise-related respiratory problems\u00a0-including asthma, exercise-induced\u00a0bronchoconstriction,\u00a0and disordered breathing problems-\u00a0I\u00a0am passionate about\u00a0improving\u00a0their\u00a0diagnosis and management\u00a0across the\u00a0general public\u00a0through to\u00a0elite athletes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"JOhn<\/p>\n

How has your research\u00a0benefited\u00a0business and industry so far?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So\u00a0far,\u00a0my work has\u00a0led to improvements in how athletes are managed when they report respiratory symptoms. This has included the development of a systematic respiratory assessment to better\u00a0diagnose\u00a0an\u00a0athlete\u2019s\u00a0respiratory\u00a0problem. I have also been able to enhance the understanding of practitioners working with people who report exercise respiratory problems. This work has helped organisations better support individuals with breathing problems, enhance individuals\u2019\u00a0exercise enjoyment and performance and has\u00a0led\u00a0to\u00a0the development\u00a0of new projects to refine and develop technology.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Is there a particular project which you are particularly proud of?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A recent project I am proud of is the\u00a0groundbreaking\u00a0work we have done to\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0what\u00a0an optimum\u00a0breathing pattern is and how we can use measurement of breathing pattern to detect asthma, exercise-induced\u00a0bronchoconstriction,\u00a0and disordered breathing patterns. This work is the first to\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0this and has\u00a0launched\u00a0an exciting stream of future research and development of\u00a0new technologies\u00a0to make the assessment of breathing pattern more accessible. We can also use this technology to\u00a0provide\u00a0real time feedback to the client to help them better understand how to\u00a0optimise\u00a0their breathing pattern at rest and during exercise.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is it important to you to work with external partners, and what do you believe you can offer them?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

External partners are extremely important to the work we do. We have worked with several companies\u00a0to understand how their existing\u00a0products may be most beneficial to individuals with exercise respiratory problems. We have also worked with external companies to develop new technology to make tests that are only accessible in laboratories more accessible to practitioners and clients.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How can we get in touch with you?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Visit our Respiratory Clinic website<\/a> for more information about our services. If you would like to discuss opportunities to collaborate with me or the Clinic, contact the University of Kent’s business and innovation gateway team at businessrelationships@kent.ac.uk.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n