Peter Barnes (respiratory scientist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Peter Barnes
Born	Peter John Barnes 1946 (age 78–79) Birmingham, West Midlands
Nationality	British
Alma mater	University of Cambridge University of Oxford Medical School
Known for	translational research in asthma and COPD
Awards	Founding Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences 1998, Fellow of the Royal Society 2007, Member of the Academia Europaea 2012
Scientific career
Fields	Respiratory scientist and clinician
Institutions	National Heart & Lung Institute Imperial College London Royal Brompton Hospital, London

Sir Peter John Barnes is a famous British scientist and doctor. He was born on October 29, 1946. He is a top expert in understanding and treating breathing problems like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Sir Peter used to lead the respiratory medicine department at Imperial College London. He was also a special doctor at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London. He is known as one of the most cited scientists in the world. This means many other scientists refer to his work in their own research.

Early Life and Education

Sir Peter Barnes was born in Birmingham, England. He went to school at Leamington College. He was a very bright student and won a special scholarship to St Catharine's College, Cambridge. There, he studied natural sciences and graduated with top honors in 1969.

After Cambridge, he went to the University of Oxford Medical School. He continued to excel and became a scholar there. He earned his medical degrees (BM, BCh) in 1972.

Medical Career and Research Focus

After becoming a doctor, Sir Peter worked at hospitals in Oxford and London. He then focused on research in 1978. He studied how medicines affect the lungs at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School. He earned another advanced degree (Doctor of Medicine) from the University of Oxford.

In 1981, he spent a year doing research in California, USA. When he returned to London, he became a consultant doctor and senior lecturer. In 1985, he became a professor at the National Heart & Lung Institute (NHLI). This institute later became part of Imperial College London. He also became a special consultant doctor at the Royal Brompton Hospital.

In 1987, he became the head of thoracic medicine at NHLI. He led the respiratory medicine department at Imperial College until 2017. In 2023, he was given the title of Sir for his important work in respiratory science.

Understanding Asthma and COPD

Sir Peter's research has greatly changed how we understand asthma and COPD. He first studied how the body's natural chemicals affect airways. He looked at how adrenaline and other signals work in the lungs. He was the first to create maps showing where these signals attach in the lungs.

His team also explored how inflammation causes asthma. They found out how certain proteins, like NF-κB, control genes that cause inflammation. They also discovered how steroid medicines stop this inflammation.

Steroid Resistance and New Treatments

Sir Peter's research also looked into why some people with severe asthma don't respond well to steroids. He found several reasons at a tiny, molecular level. He also studied how common asthma medicines, like β₂-agonists and corticosteroids, work together.

His group applied the same research methods to study COPD. A big discovery was finding out why steroids don't work as well for inflammation in COPD. He showed this is because of a problem with a protein called histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2). He also found that a medicine called theophylline could help fix this problem in COPD.

Sir Peter also helped develop ways to check lung inflammation without invasive tests. For example, he pioneered using exhaled nitric oxide, which is higher in asthma and goes down with steroid treatment. His work has led to new ideas for treating these diseases.

Developing New Medicines

Because of his research on steroid resistance, Sir Peter helped start a company called RespiVert in 2007. This company, which was part of Imperial College, worked on finding new inhaled medicines. These medicines are now being developed to treat severe asthma and COPD. The company was bought by Johnson & Johnson in 2010.

Family Life

Sir Peter Barnes married Olivia Harvard-Watts, a psychotherapist, in 1976. They have three sons: Adam, born in 1978; Toby, born in 1983; and Julian, born in 1988.

Honours and Awards

Sir Peter Barnes has received many important awards and honors for his scientific work. Some of these include:

• 1991 Linacre Lecture: Royal College of Physicians
• 1995 Dutch Medical Federation Annual Prize
• 1996 Amberson Lecture: American Thoracic Society
• 1997 MD Honoris Causa: University of Ferrara
• 1997 William Withering Lecture: Royal College of Physicians
• 1998 Founding Fellow: Academy of Medical Sciences
• 1998 Erasmus Lecture: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (University of Brussels)
• 1999 Sadoul Lecture: European Respiratory Society
• 2000 Manuel Albertal Memorial Lecture: American College of Chest Physicians
• 2001 MD Honoris Causa: University of Athens
• 2001 Poulson Prize: Norwegian Pharmacology Society
• 2002 College Medalist: American College of Chest Physicians
• 2007 Fellow of Royal Society (he was the first respiratory researcher elected since 1856!)
• 2007 Gold Medal: British Thoracic Society
• 2008 MD Honoris Causa: University of Tampere
• 2009 Croonian Lecture: Royal College of Physicians
• 2009 Senior Investigator: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
• 2010 MD Honoris Causa: Catholic University of Leuven
• 2011 Honorary Fellow St Catharine's College, Cambridge
• 2012 Master FCCP: American College of Chest Physicians
• 2012 Member Academia Europaea (European Academy)
• 2013 President: European Respiratory Society
• 2014 Doctorate Honoris Causa: University of Maastricht
• 2019-2023 President: British Association for Lung Research (BALR)
• 2020 Trudeau Medal: American Thoracic Society
• 2020 Honorary Fellowship, British Pharmacology Society
• 2022 The Imperial College Medal

External Sources

• Curriculum Vitae
• Publications
• Citations
• COPD interview
• ScienceWatch interview on COPD research