childhood asthma researcher wins Liley Medal

21 November 2007 — The Health Research Council of New Zealand’s (HRC) Liley Medal for health research has been awarded to Professor Innes Asher from The University of Auckland for her research into the prevalence of asthma and allergies in children worldwide.

The Liley Medal, awarded annually by the HRC, recognises an individual who has published a research study that has made an outstanding contribution to health and medical sciences.

Professor Asher leads the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), a major worldwide research programme, with key coordination from New Zealand, studying asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic eczema.

Her research studied almost half a million school children in 56 countries to determine whether the prevalence of asthma, rhinitis and eczema had changed. Previously, the prevalence of these conditions had been increasing; however, the research she led found decreases in prevalence in many study centres, including New Zealand. Increases in prevalence were more common in centres with low prevalence and developing countries.

"The most concerning finding was that the increasing prevalence was most common in the most populous regions of the world (Latin America, Africa, India, Asia-Pacific) meaning high health care impact,” Professor Asher says.

In addition to providing new evidence that environmental factors determine prevalence of asthma and allergies, the study has produced an effective research model which can monitor public health internationally and engage researchers worldwide.

“This research is an inspiring example of global leadership and successful international collaboration,” HRC Chief Executive Dr Robin Olds says.

Professor Asher’s research was published the prestigious international journal, The Lancet, in 2006.