Imperial’s Professor Andy Bush has received the ERS Presidential Award for his impactful work in paediatric respiratory diseases.

"Science is a team effort, and I’m lucky to have my name on the award, but it’s for everyone"

Professor Andy Bush, a leading figure in Paediatrics and Paediatric Respirology at the National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) at Imperial, has been awarded the prestigious European Respiratory Society (ERS) Presidential Award. This accolade recognises individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to advancing respiratory medicine globally. In addition to his academic role, Professor Bush is a Consultant Paediatric Chest Physician at the Royal Brompton Harefield NHS Foundation Trust. He received the award during the ERS Congress in Vienna.

We spoke to Professor Bush about his career, his latest work, and how he feels about receiving such a distinguished award.

Firstly, congratulations! How do you feel about receiving the award?

Well, it's a great honour. I'm very chuffed about it. Very humbled. There are many great people who have received that award before, and it's nice to join their number, albeit undeservedly.

What inspired you to pursue a career in paediatrics?

I started my career as an adult trainee. I did my research in the Physiology department here [at NHLI] with Professor David Dennison and Professor Elliot Shinebourne. They were pivotal in my career. My research initially started with adults but was getting more and more focused on paediatrics. It became a handicap not being able to look after children, so in my early 30s, I took the plunge, went back to the bottom of the ladder, and switched to paediatrics. I loved it so much that I’ve never wanted to do anything else since.

You’ve balanced both being a clinician and doing research. How did your clinical training in paediatrics influence your research?

The research needed me to be able to look after sick kids on ventilators without relying on others. Throughout my career, I’ve always mixed clinical and research aspects, which has been incredibly fulfilling. If I could turn the clock back, I wouldn't choose to do anything else.

If you could speak to your 30-year-old self, what advice would you give?

I’d probably tell myself to look after myself better. I was (and am!) a bit of a work junkie and thoroughly enjoyed it, but it takes its toll. At 30, you think you're made of iron and that it’ll last forever. When you’re 70, you realise you weren’t as invincible as you thought.

What are some of your career highlights?

One big highlight was being appointed to the Brompton and the NHLI. Another would be the research we’ve done in severe asthma, clinical physiology, and cystic fibrosis. We’ve had a major grant looking at the early origins of adult disease. It’s fascinating – by the time you walk through the school gates for the first time, your lung function is already set for life, and even things your grandmother did can influence your lung health.

Personal highlights include marriage, my kids being born, them getting married, and having eight fantastic grandkids.

In my career, I’m especially proud of training the next generation. You want to train people who are smarter than you, and I’ve been lucky to do that with some fantastic trainees, like Jane Davies and Sejal Saglani, both full professors at Imperial now. When I look back, I realize that while the papers are fun at the time, they soon become irrelevant. It’s the trainees that you leave behind that are your legacy. I’ve supervised 52 PhD and MD research theses, and still counting, and being a small part of their professional journey makes me proud.  

What are you currently working on?

One key area is asthma treatments. The UK has an appalling track record for asthma, with some of the worst outcomes in Europe. Dr Louise Fleming is leading a new approach using combination inhalers, a reliever inhaler, a long-acting version of the standard blue inhaler, and an inhaled steroid. One of the reasons why people die of asthma is they don’t take their regular medication and take too much reliever therapy. With the two combined you can’t overdose. We’ve been involved in a trial in New Zealand in preschool children, as most evidence is in children 12 and over. And we are also about to begin a study with 5-11-year-olds in the UK. We’re keeping busy!

For Paediatric Respirology, what do you think is the most pressing issue?

It’s a really exciting time because basic science is delivering life-changing treatments. One example is in cystic fibrosis, work on modulators led by Professor Jane Davies, has been sensational. We’ve seen patients who were on the transplant list taking the new treatments, who come off oxygen, regain weight, return to work, and even have children. 

But most pressing is the worsening obesity epidemic, and vaping in young children. A generation is becoming nicotine addicts while effective legislation is stalled. I am one of a large number of paediatricians hitting the campaign trail against these dreadful devices.

Is there a final message or key takeaway you'd like to share?

I’d like to stress that the days of one person flying solo are long gone. Science is a team effort, and I’m lucky to have my name on the award, but it’s for everyone – not just doctors and scientists, but also specialist nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, and the whole team. And actually, if I could give my 30-year-old self some advice, it would be to surround yourself with great people, and that’s exactly what I’ve done.