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Ingrid Laing

Honorary Research Fellow

Ingrid Laing

Head, Children's Respiratory Science

BSc PhD

ingrid.laing@telethonkids.org.au@hotmail.cmo

+61 63191828

Dr Ingrid Laing is a research scientist (BSc. PhD.) with a focus on understanding the mechanisms of childhood respiratory disease, identifying risk factors and biomarkers that predict the development of persistent respiratory exacerbations as well as trialling new treatments. Dr Laing has a comprehensive track record in paediatric respiratory research particularly in the areas of respiratory virology, childhood acute wheezing and asthma, lung development and immunogenetics. 

During her PhD studying the genetics of asthma susceptibility, Dr Laing won numerous awards for her research from the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ), the Australian Lung Foundation, the CRC for Asthma, the National Asthma Council and Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. This was followed by the Australian Respiratory Council Ann Woolcock Research Fellowship investigating acute lower respiratory infection in infants. 

Together with Prof Peter Le Souef, Dr Laing leads a world-class study of children having wheezing and asthma attacks and has also undertaken clinical trials of new asthma treatments.

Projects

Compound Repurposing Into Novel Therapeutics In COVID-19 At risk Lungs (CRITICAL Study)

Multi-centre, multi-disciplinary study using a systems biology approach to investigate immunomodulation in children with acute wheeze

Mechanisms of Acute Viral Respiratory Illness in Children (MAVRIC)

Metabolomics to predict asthma in children (MAP Study)

Childhood asthma begins as wheeze (a whistling sound produced by the airways during breathing) during pre­school age.

Cultures of HRV-C for investigations of pathogenesis in children

Understanding the relative contributions of the lung, respiratory muscles and the blood vessels to severity of chronic lung disease in very preterm infants (PIFCO Follow-up)

Developing metabolomics profiles to differentiate between healthy, preschool wheeze and asthma

Published research

Impaired interferon response in plasmacytoid dendritic cells from children with persistent wheeze

Impaired interferon response and allergic sensitization may contribute to virus-induced wheeze and asthma development in young children. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells play a key role in antiviral immunity as critical producers of type I interferons. 

Rhinoviruses A and C elicit long-lasting antibody responses with limited cross-neutralization

Rhinoviruses (RVs) can cause severe wheezing illnesses in young children and patients with asthma. Vaccine development has been hampered by the multitude of RV types with little information about cross-neutralization. We previously showed that neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses to RV-C are detected twofold to threefold more often than those to RV-A throughout childhood. Based on those findings, we hypothesized that RV-C infections are more likely to induce either cross-neutralizing or longer-lasting antibody responses compared with RV-A infections.

LPS binding protein and activation signatures are upregulated during asthma exacerbations in children

Asthma exacerbations in children are associated with respiratory viral infection and atopy, resulting in systemic immune activation and infiltration of immune cells into the airways. The gene networks driving the immune activation and subsequent migration of immune cells into the airways remains incompletely understood. Cellular and molecular profiling of PBMC was employed on paired samples obtained from atopic asthmatic children during acute virus-associated exacerbations and later during convalescence.

Genetic variants of TLR4, including the novel variant, rs5030719, and related genes are associated with susceptibility to clinical malaria in African children

Malaria is a deadly disease caused by Plasmodium spp. Several blood phenotypes have been associated with malarial resistance, which suggests a genetic component to immune protection.

Personal network inference unveils heterogeneous immune response patterns to viral infection in children with acute wheezing

Human rhinovirus (RV)-induced exacerbations of asthma and wheeze are a major cause of emergency room presentations and hospital admissions among children. Previous studies have shown that immune response patterns during these exacerbations are heterogeneous and are characterized by the presence or absence of robust interferon responses.

Viral Induced Effects on a Vulnerable Epithelium; Lessons Learned From Paediatric Asthma and Eosinophilic Oesophagitis

The epithelium is integral to the protection of many different biological systems and for the maintenance of biochemical homeostasis. Emerging evidence suggests that particular children have epithelial vulnerabilities leading to dysregulated barrier function and integrity, that resultantly contributes to disease pathogenesis.

Defining Age-specific Relationships of Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Rhinovirus Species in Hospitalized Children With Acute Wheeze

Acute wheezing is one of the most common hospital presentations for young children. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and rhinovirus (RV) species A, B and the more recently described species C are implicated in the majority of these presentations. However, the relative importance and age-specificities of these viruses have not been defined.

Increased nasal Streptococcus pneumoniae presence in Western environment associated with allergic conditions in Chinese immigrants

Chinese immigrants living in Australia experience increased allergic conditions: asthma, eczema, hay fever and wheeze. Recently we reported diminished innate cytokine responses in long-term immigrants, potentially increasing their pathogenic viral load and microbial carriage. We hypothesise that a Western environment changes the nasal microbiome profile, and this altered profile may be associated with the development of allergic conditions. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to examine the loading of viral and microbial respiratory pathogens in the upper airway.

Education and Qualifications
  • Bachelor of Science (BSc) – Murdoch University
  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) – University of Western Australia
Awards/Honours
  • 1989 Australia and New Zealand Society for the Advancement of Science research scholarship
  • 1998 Australian Lung Foundation/Sensormedics travel scholarship
  • 1999 NH&MRC Dora Lush Postgraduate Research scholarship
  • 2000 Best Associate Member Oral Presentation, TSANZ (WA branch) Winter Scientific Meeting
  • 2001 Asthma Foundation PhD scholarship
  • 2001 CRC for Asthma PhD supplemental scholarship
  • 2001 Best PhD Scholar Oral Presentation, CRC for Asthma Annual Conference
  • 2002 Asthma and Allergy Research Institute Travel Award
  • 2002 Best Presentation on Asthma, TSANZ/National Asthma Council Prize
  • 2004 Australian Respiratory Council Ann Woolcock Research Fellowship
  • 2004 Best Postgraduate Presentation, Research and Advances Seminars, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children
  • 2007 Best presentation (joint winner), Respiratory Molecular Genetics Special Interest Group
  • 2009 TSANZ/Japanese Respiratory Society Early Career Development Award
  • 2009 Peter Phelan Paediatric Travel Grant
  • 2010 Best Poster on Respiratory Infections, TSANZ ASM
Active Collaborations
  • Paediatric asthma – Arizona Respiratory Center, USA
  • Rhinovirus research with University of Wisconsin, USA
  • Paediatric acute asthma mechanisms with University of Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Respiratory viral infections with Pathwest Laboratory Medicine Western Australia