DR PAMELA LAIRD
Senior paediatric respiratory physiotherapist at Perth Children’s Hospital, WA
Dr Laird is a senior paediatric respiratory physiotherapist at Perth Children’s Hospital with over 30 years clinical expertise and special interest in chronic lung disease, particularly bronchiectasis in First Nations children in both Australia and the USA. Dr Laird is also the mother of three (now grown children) all of whom had bronchiectasis. She is passionate about improving health outcomes for children and young people with bronchiectasis and particularly to contributing to reducing the disease burden in First Nations children.
Dr Laird leads a program of research across Australia aimed at early identification and management of chronic respiratory diseases in First Nations children, with a goal of preventing bronchiectasis. concluded doctoral studies in 2020 in identifying and treating early lung disease in First Nations children. Dr Laird’s research incorporates implementation science with Aboriginal research methods to embed primary and tertiary health systems changes to facilitate early disease detection and management, whilst also empowering families with lung health knowledge so they have confidence to seek medical help for their child. To date, her research has provided world-first data on the prevalence of bronchiectasis and other chronic respiratory diseases in First Nations children, including identifying those children at risk of developing disease. Her research has addressed significant health-service and health-outcome gaps for First Nations children in regional/remote parts of Australia.
Dr Laird contributed to the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand 2023 bronchiectasis and sputum induction position statements and is current co-chair of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) taskforce for guidelines on airway clearance for children with bronchiectasis and is the physiotherapy lead for the ERS Child-BEAR net. Dr Laird has co-created accessible clinician resources, endorsed by the Lung Foundation Australia and the Royal College of GPs and a suite of First Nations lung health promotion community resources that, with her research, have translated throughout Australia. Dr Laird was the 2024 joint Western Australian Early Career Scientist of the Year.